Roll in the Hay
by AFY2018
Summary: "...an au fic about Earps girls owning a ranch with Doc and Dolls. Then they hire Haught as their new farmhand?" Habakkuk
1. Chapter 1

A crack of a bright light broke out through the flats lands of the large farm. The bright rays cut into a small house. One young woman awoke, the new day shining through the curtains. She opened her eyes slowly, the blurry film still covering her sleepy eyes. The other woman in the room, however, was still sound asleep in her bed. As usual, the younger woman stood up and walked over to her sister, kicking the mattress.

The older sibling groaned, fully waking after the 3rd kick. "HEY!"

"It's time to wake up, Wynonna." She informed.

"Too fucking early."

"Same time as always."

"Still too early, Waves."

Wynonna sighed and grabbed her pants from the night before, yanking them on while she walked to the small closet to grab a shirt and bra. She stretched and went to the bathroom to get ready. Waverly followed the first part, but then went downstairs to get breakfast ready for her and the farmhands. She got out the deer bacon strips and began to cook them, turning around when she saw Dolls come up from his and Doc's basement room.

"Smells good, need any help?" He asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Yeah, can you go grab the milk and water from the fridge?"

"Of course, anything else, Miss Earp?"

"Ugh, I hate that title, just call me Waverly."

"Okay, anything else though?"

"Yes, can you wake up Doc, I need him to do a quick check on the goats to make sure they're okay. I noticed them calling late at night more often than usual."

"Okay." He said walking down to tell his co worker.

Waverly sighed and cleared her throat, flipping the bacon onto a plate before moving onto the next piece of the meal, english muffins. She placed them in the oven and baked them lightly before she got out the butter and set all the food on the table with four plates. She turned back around and grabbed the bowl of fruit from the window sill, placing it on the table as well. Wynonna came down stairs and stretched.

"The blueberries look almost ready. Same as the strawberries."

"Peaches and cherries."

"Peaches are no where close, same as the cherries. They need maybe another two weeks to be really ready for picking."

"Did we ever get a claim on the job posting?"

"I don't know… maybe." Her sister shrugged.

"Great."

"What was with the goats?"

"Already have Doc checking on them."

"Good." Wynonna said. As she turned around she smiled. "Looks great, need any help?"

"Just tell the boys breakfast is ready."

"Yokkie-doke." She said walking down to the basement.

Doc moved out of the way for the older Earp and looked at Waverly. "Waverly." He greeted, tilting his hat.

Doc walked out of the house to the barn where the goats all were. Dolls came up with Wynonna. They all sat down at the table and began to take a bit of their food. Wynonna smiled and licked her lips, taking a piece of bacon and grabbing a few of the cut up nectarines and an english muffin. She began to eat while the others started to dig in as well, leaving enough for Doc. The mustachioed gentleman came back, sitting down with the rest.

"Didn't see anything outta the ordinary. All of them are still there, Earps."

"Okay, thank you." Waverly said to the older man.

"I heard we were getting a new farmhand. Any ideas?"

"We haven't gotten anything yet. Because of the latest crops, Dolls, you're moving to the arbory, Wynonna in the greenhouse, and I'll work in the fruit crop field. The newbie will work in the grass field and fetch water."

"Okay, so I'm still with the goats?" Doc asked

"Yeah, you remind them of their fellow brothers and sisters." Wynonna quipped.

He gave her a faux smiled and looked back at his meal. After they all finished, Dolls and Wynonna cleaned up while the other two began to the fields/ barn. Waverly grabbed the large baskets from the doorway and left the rest for Dolls. She went out to towards the rising sun, checking the crops. Wynonna was right, the blueberries were almost ready. She began to pick off the ones that were ripe, leaving the ones that were too purple/pink. She got maybe 103 berries from this picking, making it now only barely over two fifths of the projected yield so far, but good for mid season. She brought went back through, checking to make sure she got the best ones. Waverly walked over to the homestead again, walking around back to their cooling room. She came back inside, checking the time. Two hours. She sighed and washed the blueberry juice off of her hands. A knock on the door broke her stream of thought. Waverly walked over, thinking it was Dolls or Wyn going to the bathroom. She opened the door for them, surprised to meet the shoulders of a taller, paler woman. She looked up and met the kind brown eyes of a redheaded woman.

"Hi." Waverly greeted.

"Hi. I'm here about the farmhand work? I'm Nicole Haught."

"Haught? Oh, sorry, wasn't expecting anyone. Come in." Waverly beckoned.

The taller woman took off her thin jacket, holding it as she followed the owner inside. She looked around, smiling at the beautiful quaintness. They both sat down before Waverly began to question her.

"Really? I called yesterday morning? Are you Miss Wynonna Earp?" She asked politely.

"Oh, no. I'm her sister Waverly. She must have forgotten. Anyway, we plan to have you do mainly prep work for us, working the grass fields to prepared for the harsh winters. Help out goat handler, fetch water for the crops and animals. Are you living here or off site?"

"Off-site. What would my hours be?"

"7am-5pm, 8 hours of work with two one hour breaks whenever, monday thru friday. Pay will be $13.60 per hour, so $748 by the end of the week."

"Sounds great. So, where do I sign and when do I begin?"

"Work begins in for days. We'll need a day to file the paperwork and get it approved."

"Okay."

Waverly smiled and walked off to grab the employment papers from Wynonna's desk. She returned to the table, sitting down.

"You're not a murderer right?" Waverly asked jokingly.

"Well… no."

Waverly smiled and handed the paper over, sliding the pen to her new employee. She watched the young woman intently read the contract before signing with her neat a curly name. 'Nicole Haught. Still can't believe it. Haught. Perfect neme' Waverly thought. Nicole sat back up straight and gave Waverly the paper back.

"Thank you. You won't regret this." Nicole said with a genuine smile.

"We need another girl on the team. Even better when there's someone as muscled as you. Have you worked a farm before?"

"Yup, an old ranch I grew up on with my brother and grandmother. I worked there until I was 19."

"What animals?"

"Horse care and two fowls. Chickens and geese."

"Perfect." Waverly whispered with a wide grin.

Waverly watched as the young woman walked out of the house. She opened the door for the taller woman and smiled. She looked outside to catch her sister gawking over a bike outside of the homestead. Nicole looked at her, squinting to see who it was.

"That's Wynonna." Waverly introduced.

The older sister looked up. "Who's bike is this?" She asked.

"Mine." Nicole answered.

"This. Is. Beautiful. Where'd you get this, what's her name, how much was it?"

"Detroit, America. Black Beauty, or Beauty. About 1,700 US."

"Oh my god. Wait, why Detroit?"

"Cheaper from the source."

"Hmm." Wynonna answered, looking at the shiny black bike. "Impressive. Hired."

"Oh I'm-"

"A little sarcasm, she's just being a mechanophiliac." Waverly interrupted.

"Okay." Nicole chuckled.

She smiled as she watched the older woman look at the beautiful bike. Nicole put on her helmet and mount it.

"See you monday boss." Nicole said, starting the bike and driving off.

"We need to file that paperwork now." Wynonna said.


	2. Chapter 2

Monday

The morning sun had shone through the curtains as they did everyday, but Waverly was kinda excited. She didn't truly know why her excitement level was so high, but when she woke up, there was a smile on her face. Maybe it was the thought of having another woman on the team. Maybe it was the new farmhand's first impressions. Maybe it was… something else Waverly couldn't yet place. She stood up and kicked Wynonna awake again and began to get dressed for another day of work. The youngest woman walked down to the kitchen and cooked as she usually did. She set the table with Dolls and Wynonna, as usual, while Doc pulled the truck to the back of the homestead. They all gathered around the table, partaking in the feast before them.

"So is today the new farmhand's day?" Dolls asked wiping his mouth.

"Yup, Nicole. She seems like a hard worker." Waverly answered.

"Will she live out here?"

"Nope, you two scared her off." Wynonna sarcastically claimed.

Doc finished first, placing his dishes in the sink before leaving out the back to start loading up the truck. Dolls and Wynonna followed in suit leaving Waverly to take care of cleaning everything up as she waited for the new worker. She looked over at the clock which had then shown 6:45 on the face. Waverly smiled and started to put back the dishes. When she walked out of the house, Wynonna and Dolls were already going out to the fields. Waverly left to the barn, going to do the usual check on the goats before letting them out to the fields. On her way back, she spotted the bike coming up the hill. Checking her watch, the young Earp thought, 'Right on time.' She watched as the new farmhand dismounted her bike, resting it right in front of the porch of the homestead. Nicole took off her helmet and set it on the ground behind her black bike. She shook her head, fixing her short red hair as she approached the owner. The new employee smiled, waiting for Waverly to greet her as she had done moments earlier.

"Sorry, hi Nicole." Waverly sputtered out, smiling and shaking her hand.

"Hi. So, where do I start?"

"Ready to work, nice. Well, the grass is perfect for cutting, so I need you to start soon, then stack it, please. Once you're done, ask Doc in the barn or me in the fields behind the house if you can help. Doc takes care of the goats. At this point of the year, we milk the saanens and pick out the goats that are ready for the house because they're getting old or can't be cared for anymore."

"Okay."

"You know how to use a scythe right?"

"Yeah. Like, the old style?"

"Well yeah, modern made, not an old, you know rusty one from the 1700s, but still a scythe." Wynonna said slightly awkwardly. She sighed with a smile, "Let me show you where the tools are."

"Okay."

Waverly looked at her and bit her lip and nodded as she turned around. She walked to the empty barn where the tools were and opened up the shed. She retrieved the scythe and handed it to the redhead before grabbing the gloves and a pitchfork as well. They went out the door then to the field in the front of the lot. Nicole put the gloves on and grabbed the handles on the scythe.

"Thanks, Waverly." She said smiling at her employer.

"Thank you. It's hard to work a farm with only four people."

Nicole waved at Waverly and started her work, cutting the waist high browning grass. She looked out across the 1/2 acre field and sighed as she continued her work. The sun felt like the only source of heat for Nicole as she cut the grass. She must've finished about half of the field when she heard someone calling for her. She turned around to spot Waverly be the field with two bottles of water. Nicole set the scythe down and walked over to the young woman. Waverly tossed the bottle to the taller woman and cracked open the top to hers as she began to drink from it.

"That's impressive for an hour." Waverly compolimented. "I was never able to do it that well. I enjoyed washing and shearing the goats when I was younger."

"So this is a family farm?"

"Yup. My great-great-grandpa started the farm as a side job from being a for-hire officer."

"Wow, so why goats?"

"Small and versatile."

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked drinking from her bottle again.

"Well, you can eat them, drink them, wear them, and work them. Cows are drinkable, edible, and wearable, but not really workable as well as they're large and require a lot of land compared to goats."

"When did you guys switch?"

"Back with my Grandpa Edwin. Did you grow up here?"

"No, I grew up on the outskirts of Calgary."

"Oh, I love Calgary! It's beautiful and exciting!"

"Yeah, a lot happens there but definitely a nice mix of rural and city life."

"My ex-boyfriend brought me up to the zoo. I loved the reptile exhibit."

"Reptiles?"

"Yeah. Exotic creatures from the amazon, desert, and other places all around the world."

"I always loved the aviary exhibit. They were absolutely beautiful. You said ex. What happened?"

"Disagreements in what we wanted in life. He wanted to explore, and I couldn't. So he left and, well, I stayed."

"If it's any consolation, I would've done the same as you. At a certain point in your life you need to settle down to save up for a world of exploration when you don't have to worry about the world around you."

Waverly smiled and looked at the field. She glanced back at the tall redhead. "Are you…?"

"What?"

"Nevermind, it's a stupid question." She sputtered out, turning around.

Nicole gently placed her hand on Waverly's shoulder. "What is it?"

Waverly awkwardly sighed and asked, "Are you… gay?"

"Wow, first day and already hitting the personal questions."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"Yeah, you shouldn't've," Nicole began screwing the top back on her water bottle, "but you did, so I'll answer. Yup."

"You are?"

"Yes."

Waverly bit her lip feeling completely stupid and also curious and nodded. "I'll see you around, right?"

"Yup." Nicole said going back to her work.

She sighed and picked up the scythe, going back to finish the job. In her annoyance of being questioned constantly on that part of her personality, Nicole quickened her pace of cutting the grass and was able to finish the other half on 30 minutes. She gripped the handles tightly and walked to the fence where the pitchfork rested. The redhead sighed and took the tool over as she began to separate the grass even more. She left the field and went on a short break to clean up, finally getting a bit of time before she had to work on the grass even more. She walked to the barn, finding Doc at the doorway watching the goats as he smoked a homemade cigarette. His hat was tilted down a bit to block the sun. He looked up at the new worker and smiled.

"Hi." He greeted in a very thick southern accent. "You must be Nicole."

"And you're Doc?"

"Pleasure to meet you." He said tipping his hat as he stood up to shake her hand.

"I'm in between waiting for the grass to dry and I was wondering if you needed help."

"For now, I just need to refill some of the water troughs. You can help me, but after that, there's nothing else to do."

"Okay."

The two co-workers went out to the well and began pumping water into the buckets, lugging them back to the barn as they each took turns dumping the water into the troughs. Nicole smiled again as the kids nudged into her while she walked. She laughed as she and Doc dumped water into the last trough.

"Do you guys have a hay baler?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah, it's in the back by the truck, just hook it up to the ol' tractor and drive it to the field. Turn it on and you'll be good to go."

"Thank you Doc. So, why Doc?"

"It stuck when I was young. I knew how to take care of people and could fix 'em up quick."

"Why didn't you become a doctor?"

"Pfft, too expensive and I always belonged on the farm. Well, that's all I need. I'll see you later, Nicole." He said going back to the chair at the door.

Nicole smiled and walked back to the fields where Waverly said she'd be. She looked for the young Earp amongst the bushes and spotted her as she stood up. The redhead approached her quietly, watching what she was doing at the moment.

"Hey, you need help?" Nicole asked her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean no. Sorry. Did you finish cutting the grass?"

"Yeah. Now just waiting for it to dry before I rotate it and dry it again."

"Well. I'm finishing up on the blueberries today, so I can take a short break right now."

"Why not. I don't have another helmet." Waverly told her. "Oh, wait, Wynonna does."

"She has a bike, too?"

"Yeah. Our uncle after he couldn't ride, he gave it to her."

"Cool. So, where to?"

"There's this local bar in the town center, Shorty's. I love it." Waverly suggested with a smile.

"Sounds great."

"Thanks, I can pay." Waverly said going off to put away the berries then the helmet.

"Okay." Nicole said with a smile before she turned away to go to her bike.

Waverly returned quickly, walking up to Beauty and waiting for Nicole to join her. The redhead came back, pulling on her helmet and slapping the visor down to protect her eyes from the sun. She sat still as Waverly sat on the back, putting her hands on Nicole's shoulders, then sliding them to her waist as the older woman started to drive off. Nicole drove to the town center, the wind whipping past their bodies as they broke through the countryside. They dismounted the bike, Waverly leading the way to the old bar. When they walked in, almost everyone greeted Waverly.

"You're popular." Nicole commented

"I used to work here part time."

"Barmaid?"

"Waitress because I wasn't old enough to sell alcohol."

"So, are we gonna drink?"

"Yeah." Waverly smiled, sitting at the bar. "One beer for me, Gus."

"One cappuccino for me, please."

"No problem." The old woman said pouring a beer from the tap and making some coffee for the farmhand.

"She's my aunt. Curtis and his friend Shorty own this place."

"It's a nice place. It that why you're also very popular?"

"Not the only other reason why." Gus cut in with a slight smile as she set down the beer.

"That doesn't matter, not really."

"So, who are you?"

"I'm Nicole Haught, new to the Earp farm." She said with a smile.

"Here you go, sweetheart." She said, handing her the coffee. "Great to see people still wanting to work there. I always told Waverly that she should have traveled, she's a free spirit."

"But we need to keep out feet on the ground."

"You're too smart for Purgatory, Waves. You deserve more than this town, than that farm." Gus finished going to serve another customer.

Nicole looked at Waverly, head cocked to the side. "What does she mean by not the only reason you're popular?"

"My great-great-grandpa was Wyatt Earp. He owned that small farm and raised his family there."

"The Wyatt Earp? See I thought I recognized her last name."

"Yup." Waverly said with a smile, sighing as she looked down at her drink. "I always wonder what would have happened if I'd decided to go explore."

"You would be excited about the world around you, then find that it's not what you expected because of all of the injustices and corruption that are scattered everywhere. It's better to learn about the world slowly so there's always more to learn, more to do, more to… feel." Nicole said drinking from her cup.

"Wow, were you a philosophy major?" Waverly asked.

"I always enjoyed philosophy, but I actually majored in justice and law."

"Wow. Any idea of what you'd do?"

"Become an officer maybe or work as a detective. Though for now I work on a goat farm for a beautiful young woman and her bike loving older sister."

"Thank you." Waverly said, blushing slightly. "Why not go straight into the force?"

"Well, I wanted to take a while off to get settled before I have to go to the academy."

"A brave officer. Protector of the law. Why did you go into law enforcement?"

"I wanted to be one of the good cops, take out the bad and search for the truth. I want to improve our system by seeing and experiencing how it works from the inside."

"How noble."

Nicole blushed and looked away, drinking from her cup. "I'm glad that we're having this time to talk."

"Me too." Waverly said, smiling at her accomplishment of making the young woman's cheeks turn about as red as her hair.


	3. Chapter 3

The two women walked out of the bar, mounting the bike and heading back to the homestead. Nicole go off first, walking back to the field where she'd left the pitchfork. She started to flip the grass allowing it to dry faster. Nicole was glad that she and her employer could get over that weird conversation they'd had earlier. She approached the field Waverly was in and tried to grab her attention.

"Hey Waverly. Need any help?"

"Yes please. I need to pick the strawberries now, they just all popped." Waverly told her, looking up.

Nicole knelt down next to Waverly and began to pick the deep red ripe berries from the bush. She dropped them into the basket there must've been three 25 meter long rows of strawberry bushes and another three rows of the blueberries Waverly had picked earlier. They worked quickly and diligently, hoping to be able to rest for the rest of their work day. The two women picked the berries side by side, talking while they worked.

"So, books or videogames." Waverly asked.

"Depends. I like books a bit more, but I also enjoy a well written videogame as well."

"Okay. What kind of books?"

"I like thrillers, Stephen King as well as history books usually about ancient history."

"Really?" Waverly asked excitedly. "So, which ancient society do you believe really pushed the progression of man?"

"Sumerians. With a very intricate religious system copied by the Babylonians and Egyptians which was copied by the Greeks and Romans, as well as a simple written system, I think that they really did aid in the formative years for humankind."

"Wow." Waverly breathed, looking in awe at Nicole's genuine interest and knowledge of history. She bit her lip and asked another question. "What about women in history, which would you believe is the most progressive?"

"Oh, Sumerians. Maybe Ancient East Africa because of the matriarchal rule in some tribes, but definitely Sumerians because there was a woman leader who is regarded positively and women could be equal to men if they tried unlike other civilizations."

"Really? I always felt that women were treated the same in that culture as in others."

"Depends on which part of the society. Education, true, but women could own property and money unlike in almost any other culture." Waverly just looked at the young worker and smiled. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I've just never met anyone who was so passionate about history. Everyone here is either a local running their own shop or working on their farm, so there aren't a lot of people who like to talk about history for fun. Usually it's because it's their homework."

"Well, I'm glad that you approve of my overall nerdiness." Nicole said with a smile.

"Gosh, I embrace it with all of my heart because now I'm not the only nerdy person in town."

Nicole smiled and went back to her work. Waverly looked at Nicole and blushed a little when she was caught. As they finished, Nicole had maybe two hours left, so she went the green tractor next to Wynonna's blue truck. She backed up the tractor to connect the hay baler to the machine. The young farmhand drove to the front lot and hopped out. She grabbed the pitchfork and brought the hay together in individual rows. Nicole then got back in the tractor and turned on the hay baler, slowly driving over the mounds of grass as they got collected and ultimately turned into 7 dense round bales of hay. She drove the tractor back, taking everything apart when she spotted Waverly in the house beckoning her inside. Nicole approached the manor, brushing off all of the grass and walked in.

"Hey, you busy?"

"I have to bring in the hay, but other than that, no. Why?"

"Just wondering. I can help you." Waverly offered.

"Okay."

They walked out to the house and to the field where all of the hay bales were. They each grabbed a bale and walked to the barn. Doc must have been on a break, leaving Dolls tending to the trees and Wynonna asleep upstairs. The goats were bleating, pushing through one another out in the field to drink and eat. They dropped the hay on the ground and went back and forth, picking up and dropping off the bales. After the last drop off, Waverly climbed up the ladder to the storage space with other extra bales.

"What was your aunt saying about you moving on?" Nicole asked as she tossed a bale up to the brunette.

"Well," Waverly huffed as she caught it. "I was a history and linguistics major. Nothing like Wynonna or anyone else in the family. Gus has been trying to get me on a different track ever since my dad passed away. Telling me I could do whatever I wanted. She even helped me through college."

"Why did you decide to stay?"

"This is my home. The only one that I've ever known. When Wynonna left, I took care of the farm with Curtis, trying to get by. I found happiness here. Peace." Waverly said, catching the last bale and setting it down. "Love."

"Waverly?" Nicole asked her, climbing up the ladder. "Why did you ask about my sexuality?" Waverly sighed, not saying a word. She watched as the redhead pushed herself onto the deck, glancing at all of the feeds and soil bags up there. "Waverly, you there?"

Waverly looked at Nicole and nodded. She still didn't speak, trying to put her thoughts in order. She continued to watch as Nicole approached her, closing the gap between them. They stood a foot apart, Waverly looking up at the brown-eyed beauty. She looked down and sighed softly.

"Maybe I'm nervous."

"Why?" Nicole asked slightly concerned.

"Because the one thing I want, the one thing that scares me to death, is standing right in front of me."

"I scare you?" Nicole asked.

"Yes. Yes, you do. And when I think about what I wanna do most in this world, it's you." Waverly told Nicole. She then took a second and furrowed her eyebrows. "Wow that sounded much more romantic in my head. Just jump in at any time, Nicole, because I really, really don't know how to do this?"

"Oh sure you do." Nicole said, stepping closer to Waverly.

"Maybe I should stop talking?" Waverly said placing a hand on her waist and gripping her lightly.

"See, you're getting better at this already." She whispered, bringing her closer.

"Maybe you should stop talking, too?"

"Maybe you should make me?" Nicole taunted, leaning in to tease the brunette.

Waverly looked at her lips, then in her eyes, then back to her lips before closing the gap and kissing Nicole, standing on her tiptoes as they drew each other closer. Nicole wrapped her arms around the farmer's shoulders and pushed the young woman against the stack of hay. She kissed Waverly's neck, tilting her head to the side. The redhead advanced upon the brunette, placing her hand on the newly baled hay as she walked closer. She pulled back and bit her lip, looking at Waverly's lips, then in her dark hazel eyes.

"See you tomorrow, Waves." Nicole whispered, descending the ladder and as her work day ended.

Waverly watched as the woman left the farm, once the worker was gone, Waverly climbed down and went to the main house, going back to work as if nothing happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Nicole came up the hill on that Sunday afternoon, not for work, for something else. She came up to the door and knocked on it, holding her helmet under her arm. The door opened with Wynonna Earp standing there with an apple hanging out of her mouth.

"Hey Nicole. Is it Monday?" The older sister asked in a tired voice.

"No, I'm here for Waverly, we were going to go to Purgatory History Museum."

"Wow, that is really boring. I don't I can even say have fun. Just don't die of boredom, I guess." Wynonna said through the red fuit. "Come in, I'll go get her."

Nicole followed the older Earp inside of the quaint house. She sat down at the dining room table that was set in he middle of the small kitchen. There were fruits on the window sill, adding a bit of colour to the otherwise monochromatic room. Nicole looked around the room stopping as she watched a shirtless Dolls walk up the stairs. He looked at Nicole, waved, greeting her, then backed down the stairs. Nicole cocked her eyebrow and shook her head, smiling when she saw Waverly hurry down the steps and into the kitchen. She was wearing a like red lace shirt with a pair of light gray tight jeans matched with a dark leather jacket and her hair was pulled back in a long tight braid that fell to the middle of her back with a bike helmet tucked under her arm. The young woman walked towards Nicole, smiling.

"Hey, Nicole." Waverly greeted.

"Hello." Nicole answered standing up and walking towards her. "How are you?"

"Ready to go, you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. So, Museum then Shorty's?"

"Yup."

Waverly quickly pecked Nicole on the cheek before they left the manor. Nicole smiled and followed her out, getting on her bike and pulling on her helmet as she waited for Waverly to get on as well. She turned on the bike once she felt the brunette wrap her arms around her torso, Nicole began to the local museum, feeling the crisp air. They watched the farms and town shops fly by as they went through the town to the historical museum. Once they got to the small building, the two women dismounted and walked into the free building, regarding all of the different artifacts, many of them Wyatt Earp's, as Waverly became a docent for Nicole.

"Another Wyatt artifact, just a replica of the gun he kept strapped to his leg."

"Replica?"

"Yeah. The original is in the Smithsonian. She's a beauty, Peacemaker. We still own it, we're just getting a bit of money off of loaning the gun."

"There's a lot of stuff on your great-great-grandad. What about his friend, Doc Holliday?" Oh, well that's over here. He died young and only stayed here after he was already sick. They have some pictures of him and a short bio on him." Waverly said leading Nicole over to a small area on the western icon. "Actually, our families have finally been brought back together. Doc, the goat herder, is the great-great-great-grandson of Doc Holiday, Henry Holliday."

"What about Dolls?"

"Just a farm hand like you."

"What's next on the tour?"

"Oh, yeah. Okay, so." Waverly began, bringing their attention to the other exhibits in the small old building.

They continued to walk through the museum for another hour or so before leaving for Shorty's. Waverly walked in first, spotting her aunt over at the counter talking with her Uncle Curtis. They were having a serious conversation until Shorty broke through grabbing the old Earp and dragging him to the pool table while the bearded man in an old hawaiian shirt approached the young closeted couple and invited them in. Waverly smiled, glancing at her bitter looking aunt and her hurt uncle.

"Waverly!" He said in his low inviting voice.

"Hey, Shorty. This is Nicole, she's our newest worker."

"Hi, Nicole." He greeted shaking her hand. "Wow, she has a great handshake." Shorty told Waverly.

Nicole glanced away. For a moment. "That just shows how strong she is." Waverly answered patting the redhead on the back. "How's it all going?" She asked him, looking up at the old owner.

"It's going well. Curt's a little preoccupied, but Gus'll be glad to see you. Sorry, I have to go, it was nice meeting you, Nicole." He said rushing out of the bar.

Waverly brushed off the bizarre scene and approached the counter where her aunt was. She sat down near her aunt and called for the older woman's attention.

"Hey Gus, can we get a lemonade and an Angry Orchard?"

"Of course. How are you two ladies?"

"Great, we just came from the history museum." Nicole informed the bar maiden.

"Wonderful, it's great that you finally found a real friend." Gus said to her niece. "So, what's next for you two?"

"Nothing really, drink a little then go our separate ways back home." Waverly told her.

Gus gave them their drinks and smiled as she took the payment from Waverly, giving her back the few cents in return. "I've changed my mind, it's good thing you stayed."she said to the brunette. "Well, that's great that you two are taking time outside of work to hang out."

"Yeah, I'm glad I have a friend here. It's hard to live anywhere without at least one friend." Nicole said drinking some of the lemonade.

Gus smiled and left when one of the patrons asked for another shot of whiskey. Waverly turned to the young woman and smiled, "I think she likes you."

"I don't know. Do you think so?"

"Of course. She tends to be fairly off standish towards people she doesn't like. Like my ex."

"Who was your ex?" Nicole asked.

"A non-college frat boy named Champ. An adult-sized child who wanted nothing to do with my mind, just my body. To be completely honest."

"Well, I'm also glad you didn't follow him around the globe."

"Me too." Waverly said drinking her beer. "You know, I was thinking about cutting my hair."

"To match you new found sexuallity?" Nicole joked quietly so only Waverly could hear.

"Yup. No, I've been thinking about it for a while. I need something new, I've been with the same long hair for years, I think I need a break."

"Long or short, you'll look absolutely beautiful." Nicole mused smiling at the brunette.

"Thank you. I love it when people feed my ego." Waverly said flipping her hair.

Nicole smiled and drank her lemonade, her dimples showing. "After this, do you still want me to drop you off at your house?"

"Yeah, but you can stay if you want, Doc and Dolls usually cook dinner while Wynonna and I just kinda hang around."

"Why not, it 'll be a great way to know the rest of the family." Nicole said with a smile.

Waverly smirked and chuckled as she finished her drink. "When Wynonna left, I was in charge of the ranch. That's when I hired Doc and Dolls."

"Why did she leave?"

"Because she wanted to escape all of the shit she got for being different, so she freaked and left. She got to explore and when she came back she was much more mature, but it was still hard."

"You pulled through, though."

"An Earp always does." Waverly said. "Anyway, you ready to escape?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Of course!"

Nicole smiled then grabbed their helmets, after leaving a tip for Gus, and walked out to her bike. She waited for Waverly before starting off towards the homestead. The sun was slowly setting in the sky, still blue, but shades of indigo mixed in. Waverly tapped on the redhead's shoulder, making the driver pull over. Nicole turned off the vehicle and took off her helmet to hear the brunette.

"There's somewhere we should go. It's nice out, and I'm still wide awake. So, the next fork, take a left then another left, you'll find a place called the Point Blank."

"Okay." Nicole answered putting her helmet back on.

She sped off to the place, slowing down once she spotted the bar. Nicole took off her helmet and walked in with Waverly. They checked in their gear after they entered the large building. The lights were low, music pumping in the back. There was a young woman by the entrance about Wynonna's age. She tugged on Waverly's shoulder before she let them in, whispering something in the brunette's ear before the Earp shook her head. Nicole grabbed Waverly's hand and followed her in. The music was weird, slow yet melodic. The bass and drums were somehow louder than the actual melody. The lights were a mix of maroon and red switching to hot pink and purple. Nicole was gripping nervously onto Waverly's arm. She looked around the room, trying to take in all of her surroundings. Waverly brought her to the bar, holding her hands.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just a lot here."

"If you want, we can leave, Nicole." Waverly told her, a hand on her shoulder.

"No, I'm good, just need to get adjusted."

"Okay." She nodded getting off the barstool and held out her hand.

Nicole followed her again, this time to the dancefloor as they joined the early patrons. She looked around, smiling when she saw the other couples. There were two boys near them, one wearing gaudy bear drag while the other was dressed in day clothes. Another group was a mix of men and women some in drag others just dressed up. Waverly placed her hands on the redhead's neck, swaying to the music. Nicole looked down at her, grabbing her hips and dancing with her. She pressed her forehead against Waverly's and closed her eyes. The music changed to a slightly faster paced song. Nicole opened her eyes and bit her lip as she felt Waverly press her body closer to her own. She gripped her hips a bit tighter and leant into the brunette to kiss her. Waverly kissed her back, moving a hand to her long fiery locks. She moved a hand down to Nicole's ribcage, kissing her neck and cheek. The young redhead slid a hand under her shirt, resting on her waist. She lightly pressed her thumb into the brunette's tight obliques, closing her eyes and biting her lip. Nicole pulled Waverly's chin back so she could kiss her softly. They made out a while longer before pulling apart. When they looked around, the room was packed. Nicole took out her phone and checked the time, about twenty minutes had passed. She looked at the shorter woman and smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

As they gazed at one another, Nicole leant in and asked. "Wanna stay in the crowd?"

"Yeah, sure. Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thank you." Nicole answered, pecking the brunette on the cheek. "I like being the DD."

Waverly smiled and nodded, leaning up on her toes to kiss the redhead. She pulled away and looked around them, watching a groups of friends all danced and laughed under the loud music. Then, she brought her gaze to the young farmhand, regarding her features in the dim changing lights. Waverly took a moment.

"Actually, can we leave? We do have work tomorrow." Waverly suggested to Nicole.

The taller woman nodded as they walked out. She held Waverly's hand, smiling as they checked out their belonging and escaping outside. The crisp night air nipped at their skin. Nicole walked to Beauty and sat on the bike, waiting for Waverly. She felt the young woman sit down behind her, wrapping her arms around her torso and held on, her helmeted head tucked on her shoulder as she waited for Nicole to start the bike. The redhead drove off, weaving around on the street bends and regarding the darkness around them. She hung a u down the next fork and headed towards the homestead. There were lights on at the house as they returned. Nicole stopped near the front porch and dismounted after Waverly. She took off her helmet and set in on the seat. The Earp took off her helmet and held it to her chest. She looked at the house and then back at Nicole. Haught pulled her close by the hip, placing her other hand under her chin and kissed her. Waverly gripped the helmet with her right hand and grabbed onto Nicole's lapel with the left. She smiled and sighed into the kiss, staying close to her.

"I should go home. See you tomorrow, Waves." Nicole said holding the brunette's chin.

Waverly nodded and pecked her before going to the porch and watching her leave.

The sun rose, a week had passed since Nicole's first day. The young owners were in the kitchen working on the books as they prepared to ship off their berries. Waverly stood up and paced around the room, then walking out of the home to the porch. She leant on the railing, gazing out at the ranch and shook her head and rested against the banister. Waverly heard footsteps behind her, not bothering to turn around until she felt lips press against her cheek. She opened her eyes to find Nicole standing next to her.

"What's up? You okay?" The kind woman asked her.

"Yeah, stress from planning for next season as well as selling. It's obnoxiously difficult." She explained to Nicole, shaking her head and sighing. "That doesn't matter. How've you been, babe?"

"Good." Nicole responded placing her hands on the young Earps arms. "I'm gonna go in and get a drink. You need anything, I'll be in the barn with Doc."

"M'kay." Waverly said with a slight smile.

Nicole walked in and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, leaning against the sink as Wynonna closed a file and walked out to her sister. The young redhead left for the barn, joining Doc with the goats as he finished milking them. She went through, gathering the goats and washing them. Doc then brushed them and left to watch over the herd. Nicole stayed at the barn, herding the last back into the pen. She looked at the young farm boy as he walked around. Nicole followed in and watched over the different mixed and pure angora and holistein goats. Doc looked up at her and smiled.

"Those Earp girls are hard to please, but easy like. Especially with their goats. They love 'em more than anything in the world." He said looking around the pasture.

"I can see why, they're cute animals."

"Ha, yeah. More like demons. Smart little imps." He chuckled petting one of the kids.

Nicole smirked and watched as the young goats play fought. She looked around the homestead, regarding the beautiful prairie land that surrounded them. The young woman closed her eyes and smiled as she remembered the club they were at. She remembered the kiss they shared, the energy, the passion, and the love.

"Nicole." A voice called. Haught turned around, opening her eyes. Waverly was standing outside of the large goat pen and hopped the fence, walking over to her. "You wanna take a break?" She asked.

"Why not. Hey Doc, I gonna take a break, see you in an hour." She told her coworker, trying to push through the goats that meandered in front of her. "So, how'd it all go?"

"Not too bad. We switched vendors, so we're just trying to get used to how they work, you know, what they want and how they want us to give our crops to them." Waverly explained following her. "That doesn't matter now. It's done, and on Wednesday, we're sending Dolls out with the fruit and Wynonna's going to order more seeds from the local store for the fall. That means that you, Doc, and me are going to be holding down the fort."

Nicole ascended the stairs to the porch, holding the door open for Waverly. "What do you usually grow in the fall?"

"Grains, rye and barley. It's kinda boring. But once winter comes, no crops, just caring for the goats. Keeping them healthy during the winter and picking the ones who are getting butchered before the new season arrives." Waverly said opening the door. "So, where do you wanna go?"

"My place?" Nicole offered standing outside. "I live about 5 minutes away."

"Okay, let just get the helmet and we can go."

Nicole smiled and nodded. She sat outside the house, watching the goats and listening to the sound of nature. Waverly walked out a few moments later with her helmet tucked under her arm and tapped on Nicole's shoulder.

"Ready when you are."

"Okay." Nicole said with a smile.

She mounted her bike then waited for Waverly before they sped off towards her flat. Nicole wove through the streets, getting to her place in about 7 minutes. She got off her bike and jogged up the stairs to her small apartment. Her hair was still pulled back into a short ponytail, not too messy. She looked back at the shorter woman and smiled as they entered the quaint flat. Waverly followed in, glancing at her surroundings. There were pictures of Nicole of different ages with her family, usually her brother some with her grandma, but none with her mom or dad. She saw one where Nicole was with another woman not much older than she was. Waverly went over and picked it up.

"Who's this?" She asked, guessin it was maybe a relative.

"Who?" Nicole asked peering over the brunette's shoulder. "Oh, that's my aunt Theresa. She and her wife actually got married maybe two months ago? Three? I can't remember."

"She's young."

"Yeah, she's my step aunt. I think she's five years older than me. What do you want to eat?" Nicole asked walking to the fridge.

"You." Waverly answered earning the reaction of a slightly blushing Nicole. "Jk. How about a sandwich?"

"Okay." Nicole answered getting the food out of the fridge.

Waverly watched for a moment as Nicole started to make their food, she then walked around the room, looking at the simple pictures around the room. She picked up another picture, this one had a boy about Nicole's age standing next to her. He had a black suit, his dark red hair was gelled into a neat style. Nicole had long hair, reaching the middle of her back. She was wearing a fancy black dress and cardigan. They weren't smiling, only a slight fake grin for the photo. They carried flowers, red and white for Nicole, blue and green for the boy.

"What's this from?" Waverly asked.

Nicole walked over to the brunette and looked at it. She took the picture and smiled ruefully. "That was my parent's funeral. My brother, Andrew, and I were about 12 when it happened."

"I'm sorry, I know how it feels to lose a parent."

"When did they pass away?"

"Well, my mom left and never contacted us since I was 3 and my dad and eldest sister passed away when I was about 15."

"I didn't know you had another sister."

"Yup. Yeah. They were going into the city to find some new vendors for us and crashed. I still have Wynonna and Curtis and Gus and Shorty." Waverly said.

Nicole stood behind Waverly and took the photo out of her hands, placing it facedown on the side table in front of them. She wrapped her arms around the young Earp's shoulders. She tucked her head into her girlfriend's neck and closed her eyes. Waverly held onto the forearms that were wrapped around her.

"I guess we're not so different."

"I guess not." Nicole responded.

Waverly turned around and leant up to kiss the redhead. She stood up on her toes and pulled her down. Nicole kissed her back and held her jaw in her hands, pecking her nose quickly. Waverly smiled and kissed her again, placing her hands under the hen of the redhead's tank top. She looked up as she gauged Nicole's reactions, slipping her hands down to her belt as she tugged her closer. She continued to kiss her, glancing back down as she unbuckled her black belt. Nicole grabbed her wrist, exhaling as she pulled away, and asked the shorter woman.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Waverly bit her lip in apprehension then shook her head. She pulled herself back up though and kissed Nicole again, dragging her to the couch. The young Earp pulled away, reading the confused look on Nicole's face.

"We should wait for that, but I'm okay with other stuff…" Waverly awkwardly phrased it.

Nicole bit her lip and nodded. She leant back in and kissed her again, pulling Waverly in by her thighs so she'd be on Haught's lap.


	6. Chapter 6

Waverly combed a hand through her long hair before pulling it into a tight braid and capping up. She walked out of her house to the front lot where everyone was digging up the freshly fallen snow from the pathway to the barn. Nicole was wearing a thick jacket and working jeans, a scarf covering up to her nose. Dolls and Doc had fully grown out their facial hair, unkempt long beards and mustaches. Wynonna was wearing a thick wool cap and a puffy jacket with a faux fur trim. The surrounding area was white, the sky was dark grey, the sun wasn't showing through. The weather said no snow during the day, so everyone quickly went to work. Nicole hadn't rode her bike due to the hazardous conditions, so Wynonna picked her up. They were all shoveling the two feet of snow in the middle of that late November afternoon. Waverly was holding a pail of salt, setting it on the ground and took a broom to sweep off the leftover snow. She then grabbed the bucket and began to sprinkle salt across the ground, grinding it into the icy dirt to break up the frozen water. Nicole clambered up on the pile of snow and began digging into the snow in front of the door. Doc and Dolls finished up packing the sides of the path they'd created. Wynonna began to help Nicole, digging into the snow and tossing it behind her onto the higher pile. Nicole opened the door and began to care for the livestock while the others were busy. She counted them all and began to do her checks in order to pick and choose who had to go. She felt a hand rest against the middle of her back. The farmer turned around to see Waverly's bright smile. She smiled back and pecked her forehead, going back to the goats. She checked the kids then the billy goats.

"Looking at the livestock, they're all strong for their age. The older ones like Mary, Ophelia, Petra, and Goatlet I think are ready." Nicole told Waverly.

"Aww not Goatlet."

"Really, Goatlet?"

"Well, it can't be Ham-let he's a goat."

Nicole shook her head and kissed Waverly, cupping her chin with her gloved hand. "You're such a geek."

"I know." Waverly replied, smiling up at her girlfriend.

Nicole went up the ladder and tossed down a bale of hay for Waverly to spread the feed. She climbed back down and helped her.

"So, I was thinking, maybe we could go on a vacation? Maybe to Montreal or Toronto?" Nicole suggested.

"How long would we be gone?"

"About one two weeks."

"I'll have to think about it, the others could take care of everything." She said, "When would it be?"

"Sometime during the winter."

Waverly nodded and thought about it. "What about during January?"

"Okay." Nicole agreed, pulling the brunette into a kiss. "Hey, does your sister know yet?"

"Pft no, she's way too oblivious." Waverly scoffed. "Basically everybody knows. Gus, Doc, Dolls, Shorty, Uncle Curtis. She didn't know Champ and I were dating until we kissed in front of her after we'd been dating for two years. Over two years."

"Don't you think she should know?"

"Eh, it doesn't matter. Neither of us care about who sleeps with whom." Waverly shrugged.

Nicole smirked and yawned, "God, okay. Sorry, what do we do with the ones we're gonna get rid of?"

"We watch over them, then at the end of the season we get rid of them unless they die of natural causes earlier."

"Okay. What now?"

"I mean I guess check on the others."

"Yeah, or we can plan our vacation."

"I'd like that more."

They left the barn and went inside with the others. Waverly jogged upstairs to her room to grab her laptop. She rushed back down to the parlor room where Nicole was sitting with Doc. Wynonna walked in, standing next to Dolls. She was drinking a beer. Doc got up and went downstairs to rest up while Dolls and Wynonna went out to get food for the next week. Nicole looked around and smiled.

"We know how to clear a room." She joked.

"Okay, so we'll need to decide where."

"Toronto, I've always wanted to go."

"Okay, how does the 16-22 of January?"

"We should stay out of the city, stay in the calmer areas."

"Okay, can you look up some hotels?"

Waverly nodded as they spent the next 20 minutes finding a and booking. The younger woman rested against the redhead, smiling as Nicole wrapped an arm across her shoulders.

"So, where to?" She asked.

"Ripley's Aquarium?"

"Let's see, oh, there's a history museum, let's go there! And an ancient art exhibit here."

"Okay, then we should reserve tickets. What about every other day, so 2nd 4th and 6th?"

"What about the other days?"

Nicole smiled and kissed her cheek. "Whatever we want."

"Hmm… like what?"

"Oh, trying new things, experiment, push each other?" Nicole suggested whispering in her ear, wrapping both of her arms around Waverly.

"You know, Wynonna moved out of my room."

"Right now? Okay." Nicole said biting her lip.

Waverly got up first, grabbing the laptop and closing it as she jogged up stairs. Nicole followed her, running to catch up with her. She opened the door for Waves, looking in the small bedroom. The walls were an off white with a very light green trim. The bed was a geometric pattern with fairly muted colours, a great departure from the occupant's fashion. There were pearlescent magenta and green decorations hanging from the ceiling, twisting and turning, reflecting light so elegantly. Waverly bent over her desk and plugged the laptop back in before standing up straight and walking to her girlfriend. She pulled Nicole in, kicking the door closed and pressing the taller woman against the faux oak as she locked it. Nicole bit her lip and leant down to kiss her. She pulled her up, holding her winter jacket by the lapel before peeling it off and tossing it to the ground. She felt Waverly grab her wrists and pin them against the wall. Nicole smiled and deepen the kiss, chuckling softly at the aggression. Waverly took off Nicole's jacket, letting it drop below, and kissed her a bit aggressively. Nicole pressed her hand against the brunette's chest, pushing her away.

"Take it slow." She whispered to the young Earp.

Waverly blushed and nodded, leaning in to kiss her again. She placed her hands on Nicole's waist, feeling her soft muscles through the thermal shirt she wore. She slid a hand under her shirt, lightly dragging her fingers down the redhead's soft abs. Earp grabbed Nicole's large belt buckle and tugged her closer, feeling her girlfriend get off balanced from the motion. She undid the leather belt and undid the first button on her pants, pulling the zipper down and bringing her hand back up her soft flesh. Nicole closed her eyes, exhaling softly as a warm glow in the pit of her stomach heated up even with their icy surroundings. She suddenly kissed Waverly, pulling her close with a hand to the brunette's back and almost tore off her girlfriend's shirt. Waverly wrapped her arms around her neck as she felt Nicole slide her hands down to her thighs, pulling her up off the ground as she walked to the bed, resting her against the it, hovering over her girlfriend. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, opening them to make sure she wasn't dreaming. They kissed again, Waverly pulling off her jeans and yanking off Nicole's thick pants as well. The young farmhand held onto her thigh and pulled away, bumping her nose against Waverly's.

"Do you want me to continue?" Nicole asked looking into her girlfriend's eyes.

"Yes." Waverly answered assertively as she nodded.

She pecked her lightly, letting go as the redhead pulled away. Nicole took off her bra, tossing it to the head of the bed and took off Waverly's bra as well. She leant down and kissed her, trailing down her neck, then chest, past her defined hard muscles and to the hem of her blueish gray panties. Waverly propped herself onto her elbows, watching Nicole play with the hem and slightly tug them down. Haught glanced up before moving her hand back up, teasing Waverly as she kissed the inside of her muscular thighs. She felt her thighs clench a bit at her first touch, continuing to kiss her thighs as she drug her fingers up and down her wettening folds. Nicole watched as Waverly's breathing became uneven. She licked her entrance, sliding her finger between her labia before slipping it into her. Haught smiled as she heard Waverly's reaction to her. She bit her lip and lightly licked her clit. Waverly moaned softly and draped her hand across her stomach. She tried to muffle herself by biting her lip as Nicole fingered her. She dug her nails into her stomach, moaning at the pain and pleasure, pulling her legs up and bending them in. Waverly covered her mouth with her free hand as Nicole started to suck on her clit. Her legs shook and her abs quaked as she got closer to her orgasm. She placed her right hand on the back of Nicole's head, gripping her hair as she fell back into the bed. Waverly moaned into her hand, brows furrowed and muscles tightening as she came. She pulled Nicole up into a kiss, moaning into her mouth as her girlfriend continued to finger her, slowing down.

"Fuck, wait." She panted, pulling Nicole's hand away. "Shit." Waverly continued, closing her eyes.

Nicole held her close and chuckled into her neck. "I love you, Waverly."

"I love you, too."


	7. Chapter 7

Waverly opened her eyes, glad to be waking with the familiar redhead in her arms. She looked down at her little spoon and smiled. The blanket was pulled up to their shoulders as the winter morning chilled the old house. Waverly looked around the dark room, glancing over her shoulder to check the time. 5:09. She turned back to Nicole and cuddled into her. The redhead twisted into Waverly, a hand lightly placed on her bare chest. Waverly smiled and kissed her forehead, closing her eyes and falling back asleep.

She awoke again to the slight disturbance of her partner waking up. Waverly opened her eyes to see the back of Nicole's head. She heard her sigh and wrapped her arms across her torso.

"Good morning." Nicole greeted.

"Morning."

"What time is it?" She asked turning to face her.

"About 7:50." Waverly answered checking the clock.

"Should we get up?" Nicole asked.

"Should we, yes, but I just want to eat and lay here next to you."

Nicole smiled, her dimples showing, and slowly sat up, the blanket falling off of her shoulder. She placed her hand on Waverly's shoulder and looked out at the window.

"Hey, Waves. If it's almost 8, why is it still dark?" Nicole asked getting out of bed.

She walked to the window, her flannel neon pink and salmon pants being the only thing Waverly saw moving in the room. The young Earp got up onto her elbows, shivering in the cold. Nicole opened the curtains and wiped the window with her hand. She was met by a partially snow covered window. She turned around to face her girlfriend.

"We should wake the others." She told Waverly.

Waverly nodded and hopped out of bed, pulling on her clothes and grabbing a thick jacket, heading out of her room to wake the others. Nicole quickly dressed as well and followed the young brunette. She was buckling her pants when Wynonna came out, half asleep, still pulling on her pants and buckling her belt. She nodded at Nicole and walked to the hatch in the roof of the house, pulling it so a ladder slowly unfolded. She climbed up, the redhead at her heels, and turned on the light, going to the small door on the roof and opening it. The air quickly became crisp, but they looked out to the snow that piled up about a yard below the door.

"Well uh-oh." Wynonna remarked, closing the door and smiling at Nicole. "We need shovels."

Nicole nodded and went down the ladder to the hallway closet. She and Wynonna grabbed some shovels and climbed back up to the attic, walking to the front door to dig themselves out. Waverly and Dolls joined in five minutes later, Doc following behind by another minute or two. They miserably dug through about 13 feet of snow within two hours. Doc and Dolls packed the snow while the Earp sisters began to dig a ramp to get to the barn. Nicole walked inside and put away the shovel, going to grab the industrial salt and pouring it into a bucket. She went back outside and began to spread it, grinding the crystals into the dirt. She sighed and set it down, watching as the boys jumped down from the packed snow and walked in. Dolls smiled and Doc tilted his hat. The young redhead walked in with them, going over to Waverly's room to grab her keys. Nicole closed the door behind herself and searched for her keys. She found her keys laying at the end of the duvet. Nicole picked them up and shoved them in her pocket before leaving. She heard a knock on the door before it opened. Dolls was standing there, a towel around his waist and his skin still wet. He smiled.

"Everytime. Sorry about this. Waverly has my razor though."

"Razor?"

"Yeah. I can just get it, don't worry." He said walking in and grabbing the black and silver electric razor from the corner of Waverly's desk. "You know, you two are really cute together. I'm glad she's found someone who treats her right." He said with a smile as he walked out the door.

"Thanks." Nicole said looking at her phone before leaving for the barn.

She jogged back down the steps and found Wynonna on her way back into the house. She smiled at her and continued off. The ramp they created was nice, though going down, Nicole almost slipped down it. She caught herself on all fours, standing up and wiping the snow off of her jacket. She opened the doors to see Waverly sitting on the ground petting the goats. Nicole sat down next to her, and arm wrapped around her back.

"Dolls likes me with you." She told Waverly. "Doc hasn't said anything neither Wynonna, but she has a pre-existing condition."

Waverly chuckled and looked down as a speckled red and white kid climbed onto her, bleating in her face. She jerked back then nuzzled the young goat, petting it.

"This is Jeremiah, he's a confident little guy." She informed Nicole.

The redhead smiled and leant against Waverly, petting the small animal. She looked up at her girlfriend and pecked her cheek. Nicole tucked her hands in her pockets and curled into Waverly. She smiled when her brunette girlfriend and closed her eyes.

"You share a razor with Dolls?" The redhead asked.

"Oh, yeah. Mine broke, so I'm waiting for my new one to come in."

"Why do we always run into each other when he's half-naked?"

"Yeah, he talks about that. It's weird because he's almost never topless."

"I guess I'm just lucky." She sighed, smirking. "Lucky to be with you, to be working, and to see half-naked Xavier."

Waverly laughed and nudged the goat back out with the others. She smiled as it jumped and ran back to the others. The young woman stood up, wiping the hay off before helping her back up. Wynonna walked in, knocking on the barn door.

"Hey, Nicole, there's some narc outside looking for you." She informed the redhead.

Nicole walked out, seeing a clean shaven redhead man in a thick jacket and black slacks was sitting on the porch. She approached him, looking at the young man before her. He smiled and went to hug her.

"Hey, Nicki." He greeted, pulling away. "You look great. I see you couldn't stay away from farming."

"Hi Andrew, how's everything going with you?"

"It's been good, I haven't seen you in a long while."

"Yeah, I… look, there's no easy way to say this, but the farm's in trouble. I might have to sell the farm."

"What about grandma? Where'll she go?"

"That's the other thing." He said, looking down. "She's been sick for a while."

"Wait what?" Nicole asked, pulling away. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't thi-"

"How long has she been sick?"

"...last year."

"Andrew!"

"I'm sorry."

Nicole sighed. "What does she have?"

"Stage four pancreatic cancer." He answered.

"When was she diagnosed?" Nicole asked quietly, looking at her brother.

"5 months ago."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to come back with me."

"When?"

"As soon as you can. She doesn't have long, Nicole."

She nodded sat against the wall, hands covering her face before going inside of the homestead. Nicole clocked out and walked back out to her brother who was already walking to his car. She got in and closed her eyes, feeling her brother's hand on the back of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I had to break the news." He said before driving off.

Nicole shook her head, looking down as her phone buzzed. She took it out of her pocket and looked down at the texter. 'Shit,' she thought, 'Waves.' She sighed and unlocked her phone.

"Where r u?"

Nicole looked out of the window and texted her back. "I'm taking a leave of absence for family matters. I've already clocked out."

"What happened babe?"

"I'll tell u l8r waves."

"Nicole" Waverly texted, waiting three minutes before texting again. "Nicole"

"I love you Waverly."

"Nicole?!"

Nicole silenced her phone, turning it to do not disturb. She leant against the door and looked out the window, listening as the wind whipped past them in the tundra-like terrain they sped past. Her brother was focused on the road, not looking at her nor gazing at the new land he was in. They drove down south for about two hours, non-stop. Through all of the snow and sleet, they found their way back home. Andrew pulled up to the beautiful and old house they grew up in. Nicole exited the car, closing the door and walking in side. She saw her aunt and uncle in the parlor room. Riley and Tommy's signature ginger hair tussled as they cared for their mother. Nicole walked in further, smiling at her family members. Riley came up and hugged her, smiling and brushing a hair from her face.

"Dia duit." (Hi) She greeted, pulling away to look at her. "How are you?"

"Not too well to be completely honest. I just learned about all of this, so-"

"Andrew! Cén fáth nár chuir tú in iúl di? Ba chóir duit a bheith náire!" )Why didn't you let her know? You should be ashamed!) She berated him in her native tongue.

"Tá a fhios agam, I should've, I'm sorry." (I know)

She shook her head and walked to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thank you."

"Ní dhéanfaidh aon ní? Caife, tae, beoir? anything?" (Nothing? Coffee, tea, beer?)

"Gan buíochas a ghabháil leat, Riley." (No thank you, Riley.) She answered as she sat down. "Where's Alli?"

"Sa bhaile." (At home.) She called from the kitchen.

"Okay, tell her hi next when you go back."

"Will do." She said walking back inside. "So, what've you been doing?"

"Working on another farm over in southern Calgary, a place called… well Purgatory."

"Purgatory?" Tommy said with a hearty laugh. "What kinda name is that?"

"The name of where my girlfriend lives."

"Leannán cailín, cad é a ainm?" (Girlfriend, what's her name?) He asked.

"Waverly. She's insanely smart. Too smart to be working in such a simple town, but it also fits her personality."

Tommy smiled up at his younger half-sister as she reentered the room. "Fuaimeanna sí go hálainn." (She sounds perfect.)

"Tá sí." (She is.) Nicole answered, her smile turning into a slight grimace. "How's Mhamó?"

"Not well. The doctors say she won't get any better." Andrew informed her.

"It's gone too far." Tommy added.

"There's nothing we can do?" Nicole asked.

"Nothing."

Nicole nodded and looked at her phone. "Oh boy."

Waverly had texted about ten times and called five times. Nicole left the room and checked what she missed.

"Nicole, answer, please baby. What's wrong? You're not alone. Where are you? Babe. Baby. Nicole, please pick up. I love you."

Nicole called up Waverly, sighing as she looked out on her old property. A few seconds passed before the phone picked up.

"Where are you? Are you safe?" Waverly urgently asked.

"Yes, yeah. I'm back home."

"Home home?"

"Yeah, at my grandma's. The 'narc' was Andrew, my brother. He told me that grandma was really sick and…" Nicole stopped, tearing up, trying not to cry into the receiver. "... she may not make it."

"Nicki." Waverly whispered. "If you need anything, I'll be here, just call or text me. I love you."

"Love you, too." Nicole answered, locking the phone before she finally broke down on the porch.

She covered her face and wept into her hands, muffling her sobs in her arms. She felt a hand rubbing her back. She looked up at her aunt, holding a cup of hot coco. Nicole took the cup and drank it even though the hot liquid burnt her tongue. Riley smiled and walked back inside, leaving Nicole to calm down until she was ready to come back inside. The younger woman sat out there far twenty minutes, thinking back on all of her memories with her family, the summers together with their small amount of relatives. She smiled when she remembered her aunt getting caught sneaking out when they were younger. Her uncle was about 47 helping out on the farm with his wife and very young children. They were about 5 and 9 years younger than Andrew and herself. Her and her brother would mess with their neighbors and classmates in that little town, going to church every Sunday and helping out whenever they could. Nicole remembered her first crush being during the school year when a new girl came to their town. She was in 8th grade just like Nicole and Andrew. They both liked her, but she only liked Nicole, though neither dared to be in a public relationship like her aunt had been at the time.

Waverly locked her phone, the whole group was in the parlor room.

"So?" Dolls asked. "She doesn't seem like the type to just leave with someone random."

"I agree. Should we call the police?" Wynonna asked.

"No, she's fine, just dealing with some family issues right now." Waverly answered.

"Okay." Dolls answered.

"Hey, why don't you two rest up?" Wynonna suggested.

"Of course." Doc said tipping his hat before the two gentlemen left.

"What happened?"

"Her grandma's really sick and might pass away." Waverly said. "I just wish I was there for her. She shouldn't be going through this alone, Wyn."

"Give her space, I think she just needs sometime to think this all through while she's going through this moment of her life. Remember after Daddy and Willa passed away?"

"Yeah, you just took off without saying a would like mom. You tried to take on the world while leaving your helpless little sister behind in the dust. As if you didn't care about me. But I stayed, I saw Daddy lowered into the ground next to Willa, their cold lifeless bodies stuck in those closed caskets because of how severe their injuries were while you were in Greece getting into trouble."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. It's too late for that." Waverly said standing up and leaving.


	8. Chapter 8

Nicole woke up in her old room with her aunt sleeping on the top bunk. She sighed and shifted around, forgetting that Waverly was back at the farm. The young woman sat up and went to the bathroom, getting ready before escaping to the kitchen where Uncle Tommy was making breakfast. She smiled and hugged him.

"Maidin mhaith, Nicole." (Good morning, Nicole.) He greeted as he spread irish butter across a pan.

"Morning."

"I can tell you miss her."

"Who?"

"Your girlfriend. Riley woke up and said that you were apologizing to her in your sleep. I miss Liza as well. She's at home with the kids. You know, Oliver is 17 now, a senior in high school. Victor's turning 13 in the summer. He's really excited for high school. You know that he want's to try out for the hockey team?"

"Really? I thought that he wouldn't've wanted to follow in Andy's footsteps. What's Ollie been doing?"

"Water polo and Track & Field." He said as he placed the bacon on a plate, starting to cook the sausage. "He hates running, so he does the uh… cad a thugtar air… oh shot-put." (What's it called?)

"Wow, impressive. Any ideas afterwards?"

"He wants to coach, work for parks and rec. he loves that kind of stuff, so once he's graduated, he'll get his AA then start coaching your old swim team then try to work his way up. What about you? Are you just gonna stay at the farm?"

"At first, I was only gonna stay until I was accepted into the police academy, but now. I don't know. Things've changed."

"Do whatever you want to do. Police work, farm work, other." He said with a smile as he started took off the meat and cleaned the pan, starting to cook the other food.

Tommy looked up at Nicole as she went to brew up a pot of coffee. "So, when'll we visit grandma?"

"Today, when they let us in at about 10."

"Okay." Nicole answered.

"Can you go wake the others?"

"Of course." She said leaving for her room where her aunt was already pulling on her jacket and smiling.

"Hey, Nicole. How'd you sleep?"

"Well. You?"

"Like a baby."

"That's not what uncle Tommy said."

"Other than grandma, you're sad, did something happen between you and your girlfriend?"

"No, actually, we were going to go on a trip next month. Andrew just tore me away."

Riley gave her a supportive smile and hugged her. "Bricfeasta a ithe." (Breakfast's ready.)

Nicole nodded and walked back to the kitchen where Andrew and Tommy were drinking some black coffee. They were talking in their different gaelic accents, something about forgiveness before they looked at their sisters. Andrew went to the table and sat down, followed by the others as they dug in.

"Remember when Grandpa Brody undercooked the potatoes?" Riley asked stabbing a slice of the spud and looking at it.

"Oh my god, we had to call up the Nomadsons and give half the morning meal to their pigs." Andrew finished, laughing as he drank his coffee.

Nicole scoffed and ate her food, smiling as she looked around at her family. She chuckled when her brother spilt some of his plate on his pants. He cursed and cleaned up, still eating the fallen food. Afterwards, they all got changed, piling up in Andrew's green car and driving to the hospital.

Waverly woke up that next morning, cold in the drafty house without her loved one by her side. She sat up and walked to the kitchen where Wynonna was asleep, empty bottle of whiskey tipped in her death grip. Waverly frowned and took bottle out of her hands, placing it in the recycling bin by the door. She wiped off the table and gently awoke her older sister. Wynonna stretched and looked up at her sister. She jumped up out of the chair and hugged her sister tightly. Waverly hugged her as well, falling back a bit. She lightly pushed her away and looked at her. The younger Earp sighed and began to cook. Wynonna looked away and went to get ready for work. Waverly exhaled evenly, turning on the stove and cooking some food. She closed her eyes remembering that moment when Wynonna ran away like a scared little girl. There the night they heard the news, gone the next. She remembered Gus coming with social services to take her away. They brought her into their home above the bar. Curtis left to care for the house, but he sold everything else. The goats, crops, everything Waverly grew up with. She remembered being so lost, sad, scared. She blamed Wynonna for everything. All of her bad luck. Her sadness, depression, any bad thing that happened. It was her fault. Waverly gripped onto the counter, tears came down her face, dropping onto the tile floor. She felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. Waverly slapped their hand away and left for her room, not even looking at her friend. Dolls watched her leave, not knowing what to do. He then began to cook, planning how to help her without seeming nosy. He put together two plates and called over Wynonna and Doc as he walked up to Waverly's room, knocking.

"Waverly, it's Dolls." He said through the door. He waited for a moment before continuing. "I brought you some breakfast. Toast, orange preserves, and bacon."

Waverly cracked open the door. And looked at the food.

"Do you wanna talk?"

"Yes. Well no, but I should." She said grabbing the plate and opening the door wide enough for Dolls.

He came in, his plate in hand as he sat in the chair in the corner. Waverly sat on her bed eating her food. Dolls waited for his friend to speak first, listening to her plight. She glanced at him then awkwardly bit into her toast before talking.

"I was having some flashbacks." She began, "I'm just upset at Wynonna for bringing that stuff up again."

"And with Nicole?"

"I'm worried about her."

"Hey, after we check the goats, you wanna go out to Shorty's for a drink?"

"Not Shorty's. Somewhere else where I don't know anyone."

"Okay."

Waverly smiled and finished her food, thanking the older man before she went out to check on their livestock. Dolls quickly finished his meal and followed her out.

Nicole sat at the edge of her grandmother's hospital bed, looking at her crochet work. The intricate little designs she'd made with the natural wool yarn. The monitor was steadily beeping with her heart. She was quickly and quietly talking with Tommy at the moment. Nicole could pick up some words. 'I love you', 'Take care of them', and a short conversation about the house. Andrew was sitting in the corner reading a magazine while Riley was on the phone outside the room. Nicole felt her phone ringing and looked at it. Waverly.

"Hey sweetie. How are you?" She asked.

Nicole quickly texted back, "We're the hospital w/ grandma. She's bored as hell. How are you?"

"Good. Dolls & I r going to a bar. Love you!"

"Who's the DD?"

"Dolls."

"Okay. Love you 3"

":*"

Nicole locked her phone and looked up at her surroundings. Tommy was sitting next to Andrew while their grandma continued to crochet. It looked like she was making a blanket. She walked to the bedside chair and sat next to her. She held her grandmother's wrist, smiling. The old woman looked at her and set down her work. She looked at Nicole and chuckled.

"Nicole, níl eagla orm." (I'm not afraid.) She comforted her young relative.

The other looked at her, somber eyed. "How'd you meet Seanathair Brody?" Nicole asked.

"Ah," She began with a smile. "Well, back in '47 when I was 18 years old, I was alone on that old boat to the States. It looked like the same one from the turn of the century. This young lad about 20 spent most of his time on the wealthier levels. We met, me a lowly merchant's daughter, and him practically a noble, on the deck at night, the only time it was ever free. He offered me a cigarette. He actually talked to me. His family he left behind by choice unlike me. When we got off the boat in Québec and moved to a place where they actually spoke english, easier for us. We got married two years later and bought the old farm. Then our little devils came. Eve and Tommy, and much later Riley."

Nicole smiled at her uncle and looked back at her grandma. "Agus le mo dhaid a bheith ina scot?" (And with my dad being a scout?

"I accepted after a while." She joked.

Her children and grandkids smiled as they listened to her story. Nicole held her hand, wanting to never forget her. Ever. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the scratchy hospital blanket.


	9. Chapter 9

Waverly was at the bar, looking into her glass, the fresh bubbles still in her beer. Dolls was next to her, Shirley Temple in front of him. He was looking around the new bar, looking at the barmaids that passed. Waverly drank from her glass, resting against the muscular man next to her.

"Fuck, I need to apologize to her don't I? I just totally lashed out at her." She asked Dolls.

"You should wait until you're not drunk if you want to apologize."

"True." She said still drinking. "I also have to be there when Nicole comes home."

Dolls nodded and drank his free soda, standing up and paying a tip to the bartender. He helped Waverly up as they walked over to his truck. They took a few moments before leaving the bar.

"I can't believe that I pushed Wynonna away." Waverly said looking at her phone. Dolls grabbed it away, and put it in his pocket. "What the hell Dolls?!" She said slapping his arm.

"Ow. You'll regret texting whomever it is you wanted to text tomorrow."

"Fine. What if Nicole texts me?"

"Get over it for now, I'll give it to you tomorrow."

Waverly sighed and turned on the radio which started to play a pre-set old R&B station. She smiled and listened to the music, watching the afternoon sun set into the snow. The young Earp had almost forgotten her worries about her sister and her girlfriend. Almost. Her phone rang in Dolls' jacket. It was Nicole's textone.

"Dolls, that's Nicki. Can you please check it?" She asked.

Dolls pulled over, sighing and took out her phone. "You'd better sober up fast, Earp." He said reading the text from her lockscreen.

"What happened?" She asked worried.

"Her grandma's gone."

"I didn't think it'd be so soon." Waverly said placing a hand over her mouth. "What should I tell her?"

"I don't know, you're still buzzed."

"Why did I have to drink? I'm so stupid."

"No you're not. It's just bad luck."

Waverly nodded and sighed. "Text her, 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry, sweetie. If you need anything, just call me. I'll be here for you. I'm ride or die.'"

"Mmm… maybe leave off the last part." He said texting everything else.

"Oh shit, yeah. Maybe just say 'I love you' instead?"

"Okay." He said finishing the text and sending it. After a minute, she responded. "Thank you. Love you too."

Dolls gave Waverly back her phone and began towards the homestead once more. They arrived back home after a half-hour where Wynonna and Doc were talking on the porch. Doc was smoking and drinking coffee while Wynonna was probably drinking irish coffee if she'd decided to buy some more at the store. Waverly got out of the car, pushing and stomping through the ankle high snow. Wynonna smiled and waved at her sister.

"You can still walk?"

"Only drank two beers." Dolls answered.

Doc looked between the two other farmers and frowned. "What's wrong Waverly?"

"Nicole's grandma passed away."

"Oh." Wynonna whispered in response.

Waverly walked inside to sleep off her buzz while the others talked. She trudged up the steps, opening the door to her room and flopping onto the bed.

Nicole sat by the bed, holding her grandma's hand as Tommy and her prior guardian talked about pulling the plug. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to hear it, she just wanted to hold on though. Remembering everything as time dwindled down to mere hours. Nicole felt numb, but was still aware of all that occurred around her. The doctor came in with a form, Tommy signed. Only three hours. Grandma talked to everyone individually. One hour. They all sat in the room. Half-hour. They sat in the hallway. Five minutes. Andrew wept on Nicole while Riley and Tommy held each other's hands. 18:47; December 5, 2016. Nicole felt the complete aching in her heart as if someone was holding the strong organ in their hand and squeezing everything out of it. She felt like the world was collapsing on her shoulders, all of the perfection gone as her mother figure passed in the room behind her. The young irish girl gripped her brother's jacket as he wept on her wool sweater. She held back, trying to be the anchor like Tommy. Trying so hard. Nicole closed her eyes, a few tears dropping, not what she expected. Maybe she was now numb to death. Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Gram Gram, Grandpa Randy, Grandma. Maybe nothing really affected her anymore. She stood up and went to the bathroom when the doctor returned with another form. She didn't want to hear it. Nicole couldn't believe it. Not at all. How? How? She looked in the mirror and redid her hair, flattening out any flyaways before returning to her family. She sat down with the others, looking at their solemn faces. Nicole helped her brother up, gathering the rest of her family before the nurses took their grandmother out of the room. Nicole turned on the car as they waited for Tommy to come back. They soon drove off, back to the old farmhouse. Riley went to bed, likewise with Andrew.

Nicole pulled Tommy aside, asking, "Can you drive me home in the morning?"

"Of course."

"Thanks Uncle Tommy."

She nodded and jogged upstairs back to her old room. Nicole climbed into the bottom bunk and pulled the old knitted blanket up to her chin. She inhaled the old smell of her house, trying to look back on the old days when she, and everyone else, was younger. Haught remembered the times she and her brother spent caring for the horses on the ranch. Remembered her grandmother chasing the geese for dinner. The old irish woman would flank the simple minded foul and grab their slim neck before ringing their neck and preparing the dinner.

Nicole drug herself out of bed and walked to the car while Tommy was sipping his coffee.

"Are you sure you want to leave?" He asked her.

"Yes." She answered flatly.

Nicole got into the truck and fell asleep, waiting to go back to her Waverly. Her uncle glanced at her, sad to see her leave so soon. He pulled into the driveway and gently awoke his niece. She stretched and hugged Tommy tightly.

"Is breá liom tú, Tommy" (I love you, Tommy.)

"I love you, too." The graying ginger said letting go.

Nicole climbed out of the car and walked up to the porch, watching as her uncle backed out and drove off. She leant against the banister, eyes closed and felt the bitter cold bite at her face and neck like pins pressed against her pale skin. A pair of arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her into a hug. Nicole smiled and rubbed the back of the hugger's hand. She looked out as her uncle's car disappeared. Her sight blurred quickly, the definition of the snow flowing into one white blob. She felt her knees shake before she fell to the ground, tears flowing from her eyes as she sobbed. Waverly knelt down with her, holding her close as her girlfriend was doubled over in despair. She buried her face into Nicole's jacket, keeping her close and feeling her body shaking as she cried. Waverly got crawled in front of the broken woman and embraced her, rubbing her back.

"I'm here for you Nicole. I love you." She whispered to her.

"I n-never told her. I'm so f-fucking stupid!" She said weeping again as her voice cracked.

Waverly held her close knowing that there was nothing she could ask or tell her at the moment. She kissed her forehead, still holding her while Nicole held onto her own jacket, still shaking as she cried, as if it were the only thing keeping her in reality.

Nicole fell asleep, glad to be held by Waverly. Her protection and support giving her what she'd missed so much the time she was gone. She'd dreamt that she was back on that old porch, alone as she had been after she learned about her grandmother's condition. Nicole felt that sinking feeling in her chest as she remembered the loss of someone who was her guide, her guardian, her family. Tears trickled down her face as she thought of the news. An arm came to her back, trying the comfort her. She looked up and saw her grandmother sitting next to her. Nicole embraced her, crying into her shoulder as she hugged the one person she loved and respected more than Waverly. She closed her eyes, trying her best to remember that faix moment with her grandma, recalling her scent, her skin, the gray-ginger tint of her hair, her old hazel eyes, and her tenderness. She pulled away from her granddaughter.

"Ná caoin, Nicole." (Don't cry, Nicole.) She softly commanded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Airím uaim go mór thú." (I miss you so much.) Nicole responded.

"I know, but you have to be strong." Nicole nodded to her, still distracted. "What's bothering you?"

"I was never able to tell you. I thought you'd be disappointed in me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Nicole. You could never do that to me."

Nicole smiled and looked at her grandma. "I… I'm gay." Nicole said with a smile that turned into fear.

"I know. I still love you." She told the younger woman.

Nicole sprung up out of bed, crying which woke up Waverly.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked holding her girlfriend.

"Nothing. Nothing." Nicole informed her, smiling and kissing her quickly.

"Okay." Waverly answered confused.


	10. Chapter 10

Nicole smiled at her girlfriend as she passed her the bale of hay. Waverly smiled back and grabbed it, spreading a small amount of it. Wynonna milked the goats while Nicole and and her sister were talking.

"Oh, you know. Don't mind me, just milking these goats. I don't need help." She called to them.

"Eh, you look fine." Her younger sister replied.

"Waves." Nicole berated.

"No mind, I got this little ladies." Doc said to the couple.

Waverly smiled leaning into Nicole. Her girlfriend sighed and walked out of the barn. She looked out at the landscape, her breath cooling in the frozen air around them. Her sad expression changed to a slight smile when she felt Waverly slip her hand into the redhead's. She rocked when the small brunette pressed against her side, kissing her jaw.

"What did you dream about?" She asked Nicole quietly.

"My grandma and I talked. I… came out to her."

"What did she say?"

"I still love you." She said emotionless.

Waverly looked up at her a bit perplexed. "Isn't that good?"

"Yeah. Yeah." She whispered.

"What's wrong?"

Nicole opened her mouth to say something, biting her lip and shaking her head. "Nothing to really worry about." She said instead.

Waverly pulled Nicole into a soft kiss, holding her jaw in her hand. The young redhead pulled away and pecked her nose, smiling a bit before letting go. Waverly tugged her back gently, embracing her. Nicole looked down at her girlfriend and tucked a stray hair into her beanie.

"My Uncle, Tommy, says he wants to hold the service in mid December."

"Okay. Do you want me to go with you?"

Nicole shrugged and grated her teeth against her own bottom lip, thinking. She nodded and leant down to kiss her again. Waverly pulled away and smiled up at the sad worker.

"I love you." She said to her girlfriend. "We all love you and we'll always be here for you, okay."

Nicole took her hands and nuzzled her neck saying, "Thank you." Waverly blushed and pulled away. "I still want to go to Toronto."

"Me, too. Everything's still in place."

"Okay."

Waverly smiled and went to the porch, resting against the banister. She watched as Nicole passed her to go inside the warm house, pulling her gaze back to the snowy scape. Far off in the road, Waverly watched as Dolls drove back from their vender in the old truck. He hopped out, check in hand, as he approached his employer.

"Got it and a bonus for the month." He told her handing the check to her. "Hey, what's up?" He asked noticing her distraction as she half-heartedly took the check.

"Nicole seems so distant. I just want to be there for her, but she keeps pushing me away. Really distracted."

"How?"

"Well, in a personal moment, when she kissed me, it was as if she wasn't even there. I don't know what to do." She said.

"Without pushing her for information, ask her how she is, watch how she's acting with the others. I mean, her grandma died. She's just going through the stages. She needs time, and only a little space." He said.

"Okay." Waverly responded.

She walked inside to be with Nicole, finding her sitting at the table on her phone. The young Earp stood behind her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pecking her cheek.

"Hey." She whispered into her neck.

"Hey." Nicole awkwardly responded pulling her arm away. She locked her phone and set it on the table. "Not now, babe. I'm a bit busy."

"What's up?"

"Riley kinda freaking out right now."

"What happened?"

"Just some personal stuff." She dismissively answered.

"Okay. If you need anything I'm gonna take a nap." She said.

Nicole looked at her phone, then glanced up, watching Waverly walk away. She bit her lip and sighed, looking down and over at her phone as it buzzed in her hand.

"Shit." She exhaled texting her family back.

Waverly walked up the steps and took off her thick jeans and jacket, slipping into some pajamas before sliding under the covers to nap.

Three days passed with Dolls' stupid advice. Waverly was so done with it. Nicole needed to talk at least a bit, not just dismiss her. Waverly was sitting in her bed, reading one of her books from Gus' old library. Nicole crawled into the bed wearing those neon flannel pants again. She leant against Waverly, pressing her nose against the brunette's neck, kissing her softly then moving up to her cheek and closer to her lips. Waverly rolled her eyes and gently nudged her away. She aggressively pulled away and looked at Nicole.

"No, Nicole. You can't just abandon and push me away for the past week and then expect to just let you fuck me." She told the redhead.

"You're seriously holding that against me?" She asked. "I'm going through some hard times. I'm sorry that my life has inconvenienced you in some way."

Waverly closed the book and set it on the table, looking up at Nicole. "No, I'm not, it's the aftermath. You're trying to be alone, don't do that." She said placing her hand on Nicole's arm. "Please don't. I don't want to see you become what I was after everything that happened. I don't want you to hermit yourself while you're going through this."

Nicole took Waverly's hand and kissed her palm, leaning against her. She closed her eyes and pecked her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She said pressing her forehead against her girlfriend's, holding her close.

Nicole closed the blinds on the setting sun, going to the closet to grab one of her thermal shirts. She pulled off her t-shirt and tossed it into the bind, pulling on the light gray shirt. The young woman opened to door, closing the bin and began out, instantly being pushed back by Waverly. She stumbled back a bit, shocked and looked up at her. Waverly kicked the door closed and strode up to Nicole, pulling her down into a kiss. She placed her hand against the other's stomach and pushed her backwards until she fell into the wardrobe. Earp kissed her neck and clavicle, nipping at her pale flesh lightly. She heard Nicole hold her breath. Smirking, Waverly nipped at the skin on her throat, eliciting a low sigh as the redhead pulled her girlfriend into a kiss. She slid her hand up Nicole's shirt, resting it on her waist and held her, smiling when she felt her tense her muscles slightly. Her hand scratched down the young woman's stomach and in her shorts. She listened to her breathing, biting her lip as she slipped her hand into her underwear. Nicole closed her eyes and tipped her head against the closet door. She spread her legs apart as Waverly stroked her. The young brunette kissed her softly and continued to rub her, smiling as she felt Nicole's legs shake every once in awhile. Her girlfriend kissed her back and threaded her fingers through the long brown locks. She moaned softly as Waverly slipped her middle finger into her. Nicole moved her mouth to Waverly's neck, nipping at her as she continued to moan. The younger woman moved her other hand up the thermal shirt and to her breast. She continued to finger her, watching as Nicole pulled off her shirt and dropped it to the ground before kissing her her, wrapping her arms around her neck. Waverly broke away and placed her hand to her back, pulling her forward to kiss and suck on her breast. She pressed her thumb against Nicole's clit, the sound of her low moans making her smirk. The young redhead ground against her hand, holding back her moans, reaching up with her free hand to grab the top of the wardrobe. She pulled Waverly into a kiss, moaning into the brunette's mouth and let out a few shaking breaths. Nicole exhaled slowly and pressed her forehead against her girlfriend's, holding her close and smiling when the young brunette pecked her cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

Nicole was asleep, holding onto Waverly's arm as it draped over her waist. She awoke, glancing over at the clock, 7:15. She turned around and looked at her girlfriend, curling into the smaller woman. Nicole watched as she Waverly slept, though something sank in her heart. She couldn't explain it. There was something about being her that felt wrong. Just leaving her family so abruptly made her sad. She missed them so much, but she knew that she belonged here. She just didn't want to bring such an amazingly positive woman into this depressing mess. Nicole closed her eyes and sighed against Waverly's warm body, listening to the soothing rhythm of her heart. She knew she belonged here.

Waverly stretched, kissing the back of her partner's neck. She smiled at the woman in her arms and nuzzled into her. The young redhead stirred as she woke up, turning into her and looking at her sharp features. She traced the shadow of her profile on her chest, smiling as Waverly chuckled lightly. Her hand went up to her jaw, pulling the brunette into a kiss. She sighed out of the kiss and looked down, placing her palm on her chest to feel the slightly rapid pace of the young woman's heart.

"I love you." She whispered to her. "Thank you for being here. I need it."

Waverly smiled and pulled her into another kiss, getting pulled forward by her waist. She chuckled and pulled away, brushing the tip of her nose against Nicole's. The younger woman sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She tossed her hair back into a ponytail before she got ready. Nicole followed her and changed as well. She pulled on her pants, walking over to Waverly and rested her head on the other's shoulder. Her girlfriend smiled as she pulled on her shirt. She kissed her cheek and went out the door as the day began again. Nicole grabbed her jacket from the window sill and pulled it on, jogging down the steps to start her shift with the goats. Dolls stood up and followed her out while the other three stayed and ate. He jogged up to Nicole, trudging through the snow and catching up to her. The young man huffed, his breath freezing in the early morning air.

"Hey, I heard you were thinking about going into the law." He said. "Any idea of when?"

"Maybe June or May. I just need to get through all of this first. I'm gonna be sad to leave you guys. You're the closest thing to family outside of my blood." She said shoving her hands in her pockets as they walked to the barn.

"Yeah, though it will be nice to not accidentally run into you… well you know." He joked.

"Yes. Though, impressive. As a lesbian, I compliment you on your… body." She awkwardly stated.

They laughed as Dolls opened the door, shaking his head slightly embarrassed. He grabbed the clipboard as Nicole began to milk the goats. He looked at the board and took a pen, taking the counter and accounting for all of the livestock. He recorded it while his partner worked. He then went through checking their health and hooked up the clipboard, grabbing the pails of milk and beginning to chill them in the holes dug in the snow under the awning. Nicole got up after an hour of the work and brought the last two pails to Dolls. She helped him by checking the temperature while her partner brought the truck around. They took out the three large 15 liter milk containers and funneled the milk into the canisters. She wiped the sweat from her brow and watched as the young man began to funnel milk into the next container.

"How is all of this going?" He said.

"Good. My uncle's taking care of all the stuff even getting ready to sell the house. He want's it to go the the state to become a school or be used for something good. A park or community center."

"That's fantastic. What about Waverly?"

Nicole glanced down passing him the next pail. "Yeah. I don't know. I love her, but I don't know if she'll stay here or leave. I don't want to control her. It's her life not mine."

"She loves you and follow you to the end of the world and back just to see you smile. I've honestly never seen her so happy."

"I just don't want to push her."

"She's amazing, but I need her to know that she shouldn't change her life to fit into mine. Police academy isn't too long. But then it also depends on where I get placed."

"It just feels like excuses."

"Realistic ones though. Maybe I'll be here, but there's also a chance I'll be placed somewhere else. I just don't wanna displace her."

Dolls nodded and took the last two buckets, draining them and handing them back to Nicole for her to clean. She piled all of them up and carried washed them out with soap and water, and put them back inside while the other worker screwed on the tops and closed the fridge before driving off. Nicole closed the door and walked back to the homestead. She sighed and opened the door to see Doc and Wynonna talking about the Spring and Waverly reading something on her phone. She sat next to her girlfriend and held her hand. Waverly looked up and smiled.

"How's it been?" She asked.

"Good, got about 45 L of milk this morning. I tracked their amount and left it on their board. It's good so far."

"Great."

"You okay?" She whispered.

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem distracted usually you ask about Goatlet."

"Oh yeah."

"He's good by the way." She said. "I was thinking about going to the police academy after the Spring crops are planted."

"Oh, okay. So soon."

"Yeah. It's just a good time to be in the academy."

"Okay. Well, you always have a place here." She said. "Are you sure you want to leave?"

"Well, yes. I've always wanted to be a police officer." She explained.

"What about us?"


	12. Chapter 12

Nicole looked at the young woman across the table, her face still frozen by that question she was asked. She looked down at their hands and brushed her thumb against Waverly's ring finger.

"I honestly don't know. It depends on where I'm stationed. And just the education in Calgary is about 14 weeks. I don't know. I've been saving and I have way more than enough to get through school." Nicole explained.

Waverly nodded and looked away. "You always have a place here."

"Thank you. I can work here while going to school, just once I graduate I need to find work." She said reaching up higher on Waverly's arm.

The brunette looked up and smiled. "I just want what's best for you." She said gently, standing up and pulling her hand away.

"Waverly." She whispered reaching out. "Shit."

Nicole stood up and walked out to the porch. She looked out at the same old pure white snow that reflected the blinding light of the snow. She squinted at the intensity and rested on the old wooden bench. Her hands froze in the sub 10 degree weather. She shoved them in her pockets and watched as Doc came out of the house to go work with the livestock. Wynonna followed him out, turning when she saw Nicole alone.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked.

"Not much."

"You sure?" She probed again, frowning when Nicole answered with a sigh and weak nod. "Okay, let's go. There's a place around here I used to go to."

"Alright." She answered.

"God, I love her so much!" Nicole exclaimed over the trashy music.

"Yeah, you guys make every love story look bleak. But now…" She trailed off taking a sip of a beer.

"Hey, no drinking for you!" She slurred taking the glass away and chugging half of it down. "You're my ride."

"Fine." She said sticking her tongue out.

"I jus' feel so fucking shitty for bringing her into this mess. Grandma's dead, school's starting. There's just so much going on."

"You'll get over it. You two are, like, relationship goals."

"Don' tell Waverly this, but I'm gonna get a dog soon."

"What type?"

"Malamute teen."

"Male or female?"

"Boy named Bryan, I have to get my place checked out first."

"Great!"

"Yeah. I like him so far. He seems so laid back unlike a lot of other dogs. So why'd you bring me here?" She asked with a long gulp from the beer and finishing with a shot. "This is so good, here, you can have one." She said sliding over a peppermint shot. "It's like drinking Christmas." She whispered.

"You're such a cute drunk." She complimented as she took the shot. "Mmm. Yeah, this is really good."

"You know about any positions at the Purgatory, you know?"

"Kinda, there's a good amount of officers, but no Deputy."

"Tha's great. Perfect! I jus need ta breeze through, then ask to join. Hey," she said holding the older Earps hand, "don' tell Waverly."

"I promise." She said. "Scout's honor."

"I wanna surprise her." She said.

"Let's get you home drunkey."

"Okay, to my apartment. Waves shouldn' see me like this." She slurred.

The two young ladies stood up and walked to the old blue truck. Nicole climbed in and rested against the cold door. Wynonna climbed in and began towards the redhead's flat. She looked over at her drunk worker and smiled pitifully, hoping things could just go back to the way they were before. Her sister and friend were getting too hurt in all of this. The older Earp helped Nicole out and up the stairs to her flat.

"See you later, Haught." She said hugging her. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Okay. Hey, can you pick me up tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Wynonna walked to the car, watching as Nicole closed the door behind herself, and drove off. She thought about the situation, caring enough to get into it, but not knowing how to help. Her sister was hurting so badly and all she wanted to do was blame Nicole until she saw how hurt the other woman was. She hated this kind of drama. She liked it when one side was to blame. Wynonna pulled up in the driveway, turning off the truck and hopping out. Waverly was outside the barn, watching her older sister. The other girl smiled and waved at the younger woman. She walked over, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Hey." Wynonna greeted.

"Hi. Have you seen Nicole?"

"Oh yeah. I got her drunk. She's just gonna sleep it off." She explained. "She is such a cute drunk."

"I know right?" She smiled chuckling. "Anyway, will she be back tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well we're leaving for her grandma's funeral this Saturday."

"Really, so soon?"

"Yeah. We were gonna stay down there until Sunday then drive back up Monday night."

"Great. Great."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about how I only drank a sip of beer and a soft shot. Christmas shot." She reflected.

"What? Is the world ending?" Waverly sarcastically over acted.

Wynonna smiled. "Maybe."

Waverly smiled and waved at her sister, escaping back to the old barn. She huffed as she walked to the goats then brushed a hand through their winter coats, reveling in the beauty of the mixed and swirling colours of their hair. She smiled as the male teens practiced fighting with their short horns. Waverly sat down on bench outside of the pen, watching the livestock rest and call to each other. She smiled, when Jeremiah, the young goat looked at her through the pen door. He bleated to her, calling for her attention. Waverly went to him and picked him up out of the pen. When the younger Earp sat on the bench, the speckled goat cuddled into her abdomen, soon sleeping in her embrace. Waverly took a moment. Her heart sank when she thought of this young goat as the woman she loved. Fucking ridiculous, but then again, Jeremiah was so alone, he didn't play with the others. He was more connected to them rather than his own mother or father. Waverly stroked his sleek fur and smiled at his small form. She sat there, mindlessly caring for him as the day ticked away slowly. She felt bad for acting so horrifically towards Nicole. Though, she also did want to know exactly what would happen to her. What would happen. Would Nicole stay or will she just be another memory? Waverly clenched her jaw, the depressing thoughts forcing her to hold back this sadeness even more.

"Why is this happening, Jeremiah?" She asked the sleeping goat.


	13. Chapter 13

Nicole woke up, the sun blinding her in that drafty apartment. She sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes from their morning film. Her day clothes were lain out on the ground showing that even drunk Nicole is somehow responsible. She smirked and began to change as she prepared for the day. Nicole jogged down stairs and went to her mailbox, checking and surprised when she found a letter in there. She shoved it in her jacket pocket as she saw Wynonna pull up into the parking lot next to her covered bike. Nicole hopped into the old truck and greeted her friend.

"How're you feeling?" The older Earp asked.

"Better, much better. How much did I drink?"

"Two beers, five shots of peppermint vodka."

"Am I actually alive?"

"Yes. I thought you needed it though."

" I did, thank you."

"No problem, dude."

Nicole smiled and looked at her phone. "Oh, did you get my text about Waverly and me leaving for the funeral?"

"Yeah, but Waves already told me."

"Okay. Great. Did I say or do anything embarrassing?"

"Except telling me your plan through school and that there is a deputy position here in town. Oh, and you're getting Bryan."

"Wow, I was really drunk."

"Yes you were." Wynonna smirked, chuckling.

"Oh god." She muttered laughing. "But thanks for telling me."

"Hey don't worry about it. We're not about to lose you to some unworthy town."

"Thank you, Wynonna."

Wynonna smiled and shrugged watching the road and finally pulling into the dirt lot. Nicole climbed out and clocked in before going to the barn. She grabbed the clipboard and counted the goats before going back through and performing their monthly check up. The small animals pushed through each other, rooting around for the bits of their meal while Nicole worked. She glanced up when a gust of cold wind entered the warm barn. Waverly stood in the large doorway, her demeanor was shifted. Something about the way she walked to the milking goats was different. Kind of in the way that Nicole almost wanted to leave the room and hide. Maybe she was envisioning it. Maybe it was because she felt that she mistreated her the day before and it was all her fault not Waverly's. Nicole smiled at her and gripped her board tightly. She so badly wanted to tell her her plan as long as it made her happy.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Hi!" Waverly beamed. "I see you recovered very well."

"Yeah. Yeah. I was surprised I didn't get super sick."

"I'm glad you didn't. We need you here." She said, emphasizing the word 'need'.

Nicole's faux smile twitched. She put the clipboard back and began to help the younger woman milk the goats. "Yeah. I'll miss working here, but I feel that I should help create peace between the people and the police."

"That's great."

"So… what'd you do after I left?"

"Oh, Doc and I milked the goats and Dolls drove it out again. Then I spent some time with Jeremiah." She said pointing to the speckled goat.

"Wow, he's growing fast."

Waverly smiled as Nicole looked at him, glancing at her before going back to work. She stared at the distracted redhead and sighed softly.

"Nicole."

"Yeah?" She asked turning around.

"I… I love you." Waverly quickly said.

"I love you, too." She smiled, trying to read her. "Umm… let's. Let's get this tuff ready to ship."

"Okay." She said.

Waverly got into her red car, starting the engine and defrosting the windows as she waited for Nicole. She smiled when Nicole closed the door and buckled up. She leant over and kissed her girlfriend, placing a gloved hand on her jaw. The young redhead sat back down and turned on the radio. She yawned while they began their 2 hour journey down south. Nicole fell asleep in the car, curling up in the seat while Waverly followed the simple directions off of her phone. She glanced at the sleeping figure and smiled. Her hand traced a light figure on the back of the scot-irish descendant's hand. She continued to drive through the miles of snow covered farms and towns while they approached the Haught homestead. An hour passed, the music became fuzzy, so Waverly changed it to a rock/country station. She hated country, preferring pop or alternative over anything else. Nicole woke up and looked out the window, watching as snow flicked off the window at their speed. She placed her hand on Waverly's, kissing her hand and leaning against her. Haught closed her eyes, loving the feel of Waverly's soft hand in her own, and listened to the music. Waverly blushed and moved her hand to wrapped an arm around her. Another hour passed, practically silent between the two before they arrived. The old house had five cars already parked in front of the lot. The two young women got out of the car and approached the property. The door was opened surprisingly as if they were open arms even in the bitter cold. Nicole went in first, hearing the booming laughter and conversations of her relatives in their Gaelic-English mix. She approached the living room, Waverly at her heels, and stood in the archway. Andrew was there sitting across Tommy and his sons. Riley was leaning in the kitchen doorway. Her aunt turned to the other couple and smiled.

"Nicole!" She greeted warmly. "How are you sweetie?"

"Hey, this is Waverly." Nicole deflected.

"Hello. I'm sorry that we have to meet under such depressing circumstances." Waverly apologized, hugging the young redhead.

"Oh, that's okay. It's great to meet you though." She replied. "This is Andrew, the boring twin." She introduced, pointing to the boy who was Nicole's age. "Tommy, my brother, and his sons Oliver and Victor." She continued pointing to the older redhead, the strawberry blond and the raven haired men. Riley turned around and walked into the kitchen, dragging out a mixed woman with dark eyes and long coily hair pulled back into a bun. "This is Alli, my wife."

"Hi." The other woman said to Waverly in a slightly timid voice.

"Hello. I'm Waverly." She greeted.

Nicole smiled and awkwardly slid closer to her aunt. "So, what were you ladies doing?"

"Oh, fucking on the counter." She joked. "We were making some lunch. Ba mhaith linn cabhrú linn?" (Wanna help us?)

"Why not. Do you want to converse with the ladies or the sixth graders?" Nicole asked Waverly directing the insult to her guy relatives loudly.

"At the least it's 8th grade level maybe 9th grade." Tommy retorted.

She smiled and looked back at Nicole. "I'll stick with you three."

The women all went into the kitchen, Alli resting against the fridge while Riley sat on the counter and Nicole sat in the dining room table and Waverly sat in one of the chairs. She looked around kinda confused.

"Oh, sorry sweetie. The boys can make their own food. They're grown ass men." Riley said.

Nicole smirked and chuckled at her aunt. "So, with everyone here, who's taking which rooms?"

"Us four are staying in our old room, Tommy's in the guest bedroom and Andrew, Victor, and Ollie are in his old room."

"Do you know who's going to the funeral?"

"I know Rachel and her family are coming, a lot of the Irish family's coming over and I know that the Nomadsons and some church friends."

"That's great." She said. "I haven't seen the Nomadsons since I was about eighteen."

"Yeah, well their eldest daughter's trying to become the mayor of our town and their sons have taken over the farm."

"Is it still a pig farm?"

"No, they've made it into a green power plant and raise foul. We're gonna sell our remaining livestock to them."

"That's smart. What about Roger and Mary?"

"They traveled cross country for the past two years and arrived just last month."

"That's great for them."

"Yeah, they took some pictures of Quebec in the winter and they were absolutely beautiful especially the historical parts."

"I'll have to see them then." Nicole said. She turned to Waverly and asked. "Hey, you hungry?"

"A little."

"Okay, let's make some food." Nicole directed to her aunt. "None for the boys though."

"Of course. Wouldn't dream of it."

The Haughts dug through the kitchen, pulling out food to make some sandwiches. Nicole handed a plate to Waverly and then sat back down on the table. She leant down and kissed Waverly's cheek. Her girlfriend smiled, eating her food. She glanced at the others in the room, catching the side glances from Alli and her wife, as if they were recalling a time when they were like that. They held each other's hands and Alli pecked the redhead on the cheek. Waverly looked back at Nicole, her girlfriend preoccupied with listening into her uncle's conversation. She finished the sandwich quickly, not really realising just how hungry she was and grabbed her phone. She pulled up her sister's conversation and texted her while Nicole and Riley spoke in their native language.

"Hey Wyn, you free?" She sent.

"Yup, why? Already alone at the funeral?"

"No, I just really need to tell you something."

"What's up babygirl?"

"I think Nicole and I need to take a break."

"What! You sure?" Her sister sent after a minute.

"Yeah. I just think this'll be for us. She's going to school and I'm caring for the farm."

"Just take a moment, okay. After all of this, then think if you should take a break."

"Okay. Thanks. Love you."

"Love you too."

"Waves?" Nicole asked.

"What, sorry?"Waverly said closing her phone.

"Oh, umm. I asked, do you want to check out the farm?"

"Oh, yeah." Waverly answered.

Nicole stood up and took her hand, leading her through the back door as they trudged through the low snow. She closed the door behind herself and went around the old equestrian lot. The place was so empty now. No more horses since she'd turned 21. It was well kempt though. The fences were strong and the stable was clean. Nicole hopped the fence and walked to the barn, sitting on an old table. She smiled when she found the placards still over the stalls.

"Did you have a horse?" Waverly asked, her voice echoing quietly in the silent stables.

"No. None of us did. My grandma grew up working on a farm with her sisters while my great granddad raised his son for the merchant life."

"Who was your favourite?"

"There was one horse. We got her as a foal and brought her up before having to sell her."

"What was her name?" Waverly asked as she sat next to Nicole.

"Lightning Rose. She had a reddish light tan coat and almost white hair. She also had small stripes only on her left side."

"She sounds beautiful."

"Yeah. She was. I loved her. She was actually like you. Everyone loved her, the adults we cared for were always around her, but… she loved hanging around this old female. A black mare named Midnight. Midnight was shy. Always shy. But… something about Lightning Rose changed her." Nicole said smiling as she held her girlfriend's hands. "She was so lonely and pushed away the others. No trust in us sometimes. Midnight loved that young foal. She felt comfortable around her." Nicole said no longer looking at Waverly.

"I'm glad they met in such a beautiful place." Waverly said leaning against her girlfriend. "I'm glad that we met in such a beautiful place as well." Nicole smiled up at her and blushed, glancing back down. Waverly looked at her and furrowed her eyebrows, tilting the ginger's chin up and looked at her. "What's up?"

"Nothing." She answered softly. "I'm just remembering everything."

"What happened in here?" She asked, weaving her other hand into Nicole's hair.

Nicole placed her hand on Waverly's arm and leant into her, pressing her forehead against her girlfriend's. "My childhood, teenage years, and before I met you. I felt so alone, so scared. Seeing you…"

"You changed." Waverly finished. The older woman closed her eyes and smiled, nodding. "I changed. I used to be so confused that all I could find was a place holder for love. No one could fill the hole in my heart. Not until you came, as cheesy as it sounds."

Nicole smiled wider and pulled Waverly into a peck on the cheek, holding onto her. She smiled and embraced her, the feeling of everything around her closing in as a warm hug.


	14. Chapter 14

Waverly woke up in the uncomfortable bed, twisting away from the sunlight through the window and turned into Nicole. She sighed into the woman's shoulder and opened her eyes. Nicole cracked open an eye and smiled at her. She looked at the younger woman, glancing past her to watch the sun rise. The beautiful pastels painted sky with pink, blue, and violet. Greens tracted through the horizon while the morning sun rose above the flat farmland, black silhouetted trees speckled throughout the plains. Nicole brought her gaze back when Waverly placed her hand against her chest. She could feel her heart beating against the brunette's hand, there was a small smirk across her face, something slightly malicious about it. Waverly cuddled into her, brushing her lips against her neck and nipped at her throat. She sighed and closed her eyes. Nicole sat up and placed her hand against Waverly's waist and rubbed her back before climbing over her and getting ready.

"Already?" Waverly asked.

Nicole nodded in response as she pulled her thick jeans. She pulled on her thermal shirt and walked to the kitchen where Oliver was standing with his dad. Nicole waved at them and smiled.

"Morning."

"Good morning." Tommy greeted. "Breakfast'll be ready in ten minutes."

"Okay."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Well, you two?"

"Good enough."

"Except for Andy's snoring, pretty well." Ollie responded.

"Yeah, he always had a good set of lungs on him." Tommy said as he cooked their breakfast. "Where's Waverly?"

"Getting ready I think." Nicole said looking around.

"Yeah. What's up?" Waverly said poking her head in the doorway.

"Just wondering where you were. Riley and Alli still asleep?"

"Yup." She said walking into the room. "Smells great."

"Thank you."

"He's a true cook." Nicole told Waverly. She looked over at her girlfriend and smiled. "I'm gonna go wake up the others. We're leaving at 10."

"Okay."

Nicole escaped past Waverly, pecking her on the cheek and jogging up to her old room. The door was still a jar and she walked in, Alli was still asleep, but Riley was looking out the window.

"Breakfast is almost ready." She whispered to her aunt.

"Oh, thank you." She said. "She's stressed, Nicole. Watch out."

"Oh, okay." Nicole said leaving.

She shook her head as she returned to the now busy kitchen. Her brother and cousins were in the corner while Tommy and Waverly cooked and talked. Nicole smiled as she watched the scene in front of her. She heard Tommy and Waverly speaking Gaelic, though her girlfriend's english accent was all too clear throughout the old language. Nicole sat at the table as Riley clomped down the steps in a thick dress.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"About 8:00." Someone answered.

"Okay."

Waverly served the food with Tommy and sat down next to Nicole while they all ate. She looked at her girlfriend every now and again, glancing up at the others, too nervous to talk to them in their native tongue while they feasted. Her plate was cleared in a matter of minutes unlike the others. Maybe it was nerves? No, it was nerves. Meeting the family at a time of great sadness. Being here, not knowing almost anyone, Waverly smiled as she watched Nicole eat and then grab some more food. She loved hearing Nicole's voice, especially in that beautiful language. The young brunette collected the plates once all of the food was gone.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll get those." Andy cut in, taking the plates. "You cooked, cooks shouldn't clean as well."

"Thank you." Waverly smiled sitting back down next to the young redhead.

Nicole leant against her girlfriend and smiled. Waverly wrapped an arm around her shoulder while they all talked. As the clock ticked away, the Haughts and others piled into the cars as they went to the funeral.

Nicole threw their bags in the back of the truck while Waverly said her goodbyes to the irish family. She closed the hatch and said bye to her relatives as well before the young couple headed back up to the Earp farm. Waverly drove along the neverending highway to her farm. Nicole was asleep so Waverly turned down the radio to let the young redhead rest. She sped through the snowy landscape that reflected back against her headlights from the quickly setting sun.

Waverly brushed her hand against Nicole's and smiled. "How can you be so perfect? People like you don't just come into you life everyday. You're strong, kind, smart, funny, perfect." She finished. Nicole nuzzled into her hand in her sleep. "I love you."

Nicole stood up and stretched after got home, the sun long gone. Waverly went inside while her girlfriend carried their light bags inside. She flopped on her bed while Nicole followed her. The older woman took off her uncomfortable clothes and changed into some else. She knelt next to Waverly and pulled off her scarf and boots, setting them aside before helping her out of her jeans and pulled the cover up to her shoulders. Waverly slipped off her own bra and dropped it next to her shoes. Nicole climbed in next to her and cuddles into the smaller woman, smiled when the brunette pulled her in tighter. In her slumber, Nicole thought about what her aunt had said. Was Waves really drifting away? Was she stressed out. They were getting ready for their trip to Toronto. Maybe there was some stress in that. Was it the funeral? No, those are good stresses. Well not the funeral, but still. Oh, Tommy must have told her about the police academy. Didn't matter, she was wrong. There was some stress at first, but Waves is really understanding.

Nicole slipped into a dream. Something about everything that was happening. They were in Toronto and at that history museum they looked up. They were holding hands and reading about the different artifacts in the room, but weird things started to happen. It felt like Waverly was there physically, but emotionally she just wasn't invested in the time they were spending together. Nicole was feeling sad that this was happening. In the dream, she tried talking to her. Nothing. No noise came out of her mouth so Waves couldn't hear her. She screamed. Nothing again. She cried out Waverly's name and snapped near her face. Nicole felt so hurt by the lack of attention during their faux nerdy date. Nicole tried to scream again, getting shaken awake by an outside force.

"Nicole." It echoed, becoming clearer. "Nicki." The redhead opened her eyes and kissed Waverly instantly as she woke up. The younger woman kissed her back, confused, and pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"I'm gonna try to get a job for Purgatory PD." She told Waverly.

"Really?!" She asked.

"Yeah. I love you so much, I- I can't bear to be without you." Nicole said holding her close. "I love you." Waverly smiled and chuckled against her. "Why were you awake?"

"You were calling my name, but you were asleep. Then you sounded afraid and I thought that I should wake you up."

"Oh, sorry."

"No no. I'm glad I heard the news." She said gently pecking her on the lips before laying back down. "Good night."

"Night." Nicole said pecking her temple before going back to sleep.

Nicole felt something almost crawling across her stomach. She was still asleep, but felt it. Her eyes cracked open to the bright sun. Why did she choose that spot? That's where the sun rises every morning. She sighed and glanced down to see a pale hand dangling across her bare torso. Nicole smiled and glanced at the clock before looking out at the horizon, 7:13. She closed her eyes and listened to the silence all around her.

Waverly's hand moved again, this time draping lower almost touching her stomach again. She drug her nails across the redhead's pale flesh, resting her lips on the back of her neck. Nicole smiled and chuckled softly, Waverly slid her other hand under Nicole's neck and hooked her hand around her shoulder, bringing her left hand down to her hip and pulling Haught closer. She nipped the nape of Nicole's neck and slid her hand to the young woman's underwear. Waverly pushed the waistband down lower and kissed her neck, holding onto her hip. She pulled her close and lightly nibbled on her earlobe, dragging her hand closer. Nicole sighed and bit her lip as her girlfriend slipped her hand into her underwear. She spread her legs as Waverly brought her hand closer to her center, turning her head up to kiss the brunette. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as Waverly tracked her fingers through her slit, pulling her wetness up to her clit. She sighed and bit her lip harder. Earp continued to drag her finger up and down, kissing her quickly before moving her arm between Nicole's legs as she slipped her first finger into the redhead. She added a second finger, lightly pressing her thumb into her clit. Waverly smirked as Nicole's hips rolled against her hand. She kissed her neck, rubbing her clit a bit faster. Nicole groaned, exhaling quietly as Waverly got her off. She continued to moan almost silently, holding onto the arm across her chest. The young woman felt herself get closer to the edge, squeezing her eyes and breathing quickly. She started to close her legs, curling into Waverly. Her legs shook as she tried to keep them open, but failed as she came, moaning softly as she came back down. She sighed quietly and tipped her head against the pillow.

"I wish I could just stay here." She heard Waverly whisper.

"Me too." Nicole responded, turning to face her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."


	15. Chapter 15

Nicole walked from the luggage claim with Waverly. She missed their old town, though she had enjoyed the new city. Her bag rolled behind her as they walked through the airport, making their way to Wynonna's car. Waverly jogged up to her tired girlfriend and grabbed her hand. She snuggled her head into her shoulder and watched as they passed the closed kiosks and modern sculptures. Nicole let go of Waverly's hand and pulled her close enough to peck her forehead. She looked around a bit, trying to find her way to the exit. Her eyes lit up when she found Wynonna over at the exit on her phone. Waverly gave Nicole her bag and ran to her sister. Wynonna smiled and squealed as they hugged. The Earp sisters talked as Nicole approached, soon walking out to the car. Wynonna grabbed the baggage and tossed it in the back, getting into the car before Waverly had to sit on Nicole's lap in the two seat truck. They drove back home, the couple soon falling fast asleep from their noisy flight. Wynonna smiled at them as they slept in her car, Waverly curled into the redhead's lap. As they pulled into the lot, she gently woke up Nicole.

"I got the bags, you can get Waves." She whispered.

Nicole yawned and nodded, sliding out from under her girlfriend as she got out and tenderly took Waverly in her arms as she carried her inside. Wynonna grabbed the bags while Nicole walked through the low snow with her sister in her arms. She opened the door and dropped their bags off in the parlor room. Haught placed Waverly on the bed, pulling the covers over her before climbing in as well. She spooned her, falling fast asleep, but not before She was able to see her sweetheart's beautiful visage turn towards her.

August 21st

Nicole exited her flat. She kinda wished she could've surprised Waves, but she also knew that things may not have lasted had she held back. Her heart pounded as she walked to her bike, kinda stressed out on her first day at Purgatory PD. She jumped a bit to get rid of her nerves before hopping on and driving to the police station, the uniform in her synch backpack. She smiled at the familiar plains of Purgatory as she sped by in her black motorcycle. Nicole missed the quirky town. She sped past Shorty's, slowing down before she got to the department. Her heart continued to beat just as fast, though she tried to suppress it. She walked into the station, warm air filling the air. Her hands shook a bit as she went to the locker room. Nicole changed into her uniform. Khakis and a blue button up and a white stetson. She hated having her shirt done all the way up, but also knew that she had to follow the rules as closely as she could. She clocked in, starting her rounds in the squad car. She wore the deputy's badge with honour. Her heart pounded as she approached the Earp residence, driving down the familiar street Nicole pulled into the driveway, getting out to sit in front of her car. She heard Waverly's voice from inside the manor, forgetting how different it sounded when they were face to face. Though the words were difficult to make out, Nicole could hear some of the words through the thin walls, tilting her head down and smiling at the conversation.

"Who the fuck did drugs?" Wynonna called through the house.

"Wynonna." Waverly berated her.

"What, there a cop here."

"I'll go talk to them."

Waverly jogged out in her shorty's shirt and jeans. Nicole peeked up from under that house, glancing as Wynonna watched them. As the younger Earp sister walked towards her, Nicole pulled her in by the waist and looked at her, taking off her hat. Waverly's face lit up and she kissed her girlfriend. She pulled on her lapel, undoing the first three buttons and wrapping her hands under the collar and around the back of her neck. Nicole smiled and kissed her back, moving her hands down to her hips and pulling her closer. They pulled away, breathing in the same air as they looked at each other.

"I missed you so much."

"Me too." She reflected, pecking her cheek. "How's the farm?"

"Amazing! Not the same without you though." She said kissing her again. "God I missed you."

"It was so lonely there. I got a new flat and everything's pretty great! I get off at 5."

"Thank god you're here. Meet at Shorty's 5:30?"

"Of course." Nicole responded, nuzzling her nose.


End file.
